The Legacy of The Romans
by Iona Albuquerque
Summary: The tale of two women in 17th Century Europe, one is Tsarina of Russia, the other is The Sultana-Regent of The Ottoman Empire. Both of them seek to expand their realms, empower their families, and claim to be The Third Rome. Inspired by EU4 as well as alternate history, but also the more personal stories of the two rulers and their allies. Includes violence and lesbian romance. F/F
1. The Resurrection of Moscow

I've written a story similar to this on and I'm in the process of writing another one - The Marchioness of Torino and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, respectively. the latter will be updated on the off weeks during this story's biweekly updates. Marchioness was EU4 inspired and ASC is CK2 inspired, this story will follow the same formula and be EU4 inspired but also a general alternate history, however, I'm posting this one as a EU4 fanfiction to see how the perception is over here - but don't let that fool you, this is a very ambitious story. The title is The Legacy of The Romans and we go to two countries in The 17th Century who claimed to be The Third Rome - The Tsardom of Russia and The Ottoman Empire. Chapters will alternate between two characters, The Tsarina Anastasia Aleksandrovna Rurikovich and The Sultan's young converted wife, Helena of Gothia. This chapter will be in Anastasia's perspective, most of the story will be, but Helena will have her chapters and she certainly has a big role. Special thanks to Dave Williams for the cover image!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter I.

The Resurrection of Moscow.

* * *

I was born in 1604 during a blizzard in Moscow as my father, Tsar Aleksander I Rurikovich and my mother, a Georgian Princess, wondered if the blizzard was a blessing or a curse for us Russians, defending our capital Moscow from a full blown siege by The Poles and The Lithuanians. My father named me Anastasia, meaning resurrection, in hopes that the birth of an heiress would revitalize The Russian defenders - sure enough, when the blizzard was over, it became unseasonably warm, The Poles and Lithuanians had to make their assault through melting snow and mud below - allowing our cannons, our muskets, and at the end, even pikes to tear apart our enemies and repel The Siege of Moscow, The Resurrection of Moscow had worked, now we could enact vengeance on our western neighbor. Aleksander I would muster together armies from every region of Russia for his counterattack, the counterattack that turned a humiliating defeat into a tense status quo. Russia is a massive and powerful Tsardom, located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and stretching from The Kola Peninsula in the north to Astrakhan in the south and Tsaritsyn in the west to Yekaterinburg in the east. Yekaterinburg was the so-called Gateway to Siberia from which we could spread across The Steppes just like The Mongols had four centuries prior, but this time, this time we would be the conquerors. The Baltic could be our Gateway to Europe, where we intoxicate the west with the riches of The Third Rome, gold from Siberia, Silk from The Orient courtesy of the northernmost branches of The Silk Road. Yekaterinburg would open up the east and The Baltic would open up the south, yet the question that gnawed at Russia is that of a Gateway to the south, the south, where the routes to Persia and The Mediterranean await, but it's also where war with The Ottoman Empire is certain. The Tsardom of Russia is locked in a cage formed by The Ottomans, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Sweden, and the various Mongol and Tatar successor states in the form of the many Khanates of central Asia and of Siberia, it would took the strongest rulers Russia has seen in centuries to break out of this cage.

It was now 1622 and the unexpected death of The Tsar two months ago has left The Tsardom in an interesting position, given that Aleksander had no male children, I was crowned Tsarina Anastasia I with my younger sisters Yelizaveta and Sofiya as my heirs, this would seem like a weakness, this would seem like the perfect time to strike, yet no one did, not yet. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not mobilize hordes of Winged Hussars to charge across the steppes of Ruthenia into Russia, The Ottomans remained preoccupied with their wars in Persia, The Khanates in the east and the south were busy with their usual in-fighting, and The Swedes turned their attention to The Holy Roman Empire, which is currently being torn apart by religious warfare - decentralized, weak, corrupt, and torn apart by internal warfare...everyone now knew that the Austrian dominated monstrosity occupying most of central Europe was nothing more than a ruinous mutual defensive pact that, regardless of the result of this war, would forever be divided between Catholics and Protestants, Moscow is the only city worthy of the title of being The Third Rome, not any city in The Holy Roman Empire or Constantinople and its skyline filled with nothing but minarets erected all around what had been Orthodox churches built by The Byzantine Empire, The Second Rome. Conquest does not make The Ottomans the successors to The Byzantines, it is our religious lineage and our dynastic ties to The Palailogos Dynasty. Moscow may be a lot colder and a lot farther from the coast than either Rome or Constantinople, but that didn't change the fact that I was now The Tsarina, Tsarina is the feminine form of Tsar, and Tsar is The Russian translation of Caesar, the title of The Roman Emperor.

I made sure that Moscow was in order before my sisters and I returned to our home in Kolomenskoye, the summer estates of The Tsar...now mine. I could get from Kolomenskoye to Moscow in an hour, the estate was even on The Moskva River that shares its name with the capital city, therefore, there was certainly no issue in us being here, I could respond to any emergency almost as quickly as I could if I was living in Moscow itself, it worked out for my father anyway. My sisters and I now had some privacy and we were in more familiar surroundings, I decided to go and speak to Yelizaveta, The Tsarevna.

"Hello sister," I greeted, wearing an ornate black dress with silver, white, gold, and red trim, a simple golden tiara served as my dress crown, set in my blonde hair and sitting above my blue eyes, my sixteen year old sister wore a similar white dress with silver and gold trim, her complexion matched mine, I suspect that the blonde and blue eyed complexion is a relic of our Viking past as descendants of Rurik, The Viking conqueror of Kiev who laid the foundation for The Kievan Rus. My sister sat on one end of a couch, looking at the window at our vast estates with an open book in her lap. I joined her, I noticed that she shut the book slowly but abruptly. I decided not to pay much mind to the book quite yet and instead I looked out of the window at The Tsardom of Russia along with my sister and heiress, knowing that we could turn a realm that was already bigger than anything else in Europe into something far greater and have it stretch across Asia and perhaps even across The Pacific, perhaps we could join The Spaniards, The English, The Portuguese, and The French as colonial powers in The New World, the possibilities were endless, but I need to be strong in order to give Russia the momentum we need to finish this century as the greatest power in Europe, given that I was only eighteen, I very well may rule Russia for the vast majority of the century, but if I'm wrong, I need to be able to have Yelizaveta and Sofiya strong enough, educated enough, experienced enough, to take my place without letting Russia so much as skip a beat, so much as a misstep could set Russia back decades in relation to our current and future neighbors "Are you happy to be back home?"

"Yes, Moscow is dreadful isn't it? So many bloodthirsty politicians at each other's throats, so many farmers complaining about their Serfs escaping to cities, as constant border reports as if The Ottomans, Poles, and Khanates will all attack us at once." Yelizaveta complained - part of me understood where she was coming from, but the ruler within me understood that this was simply the reality of life for a Tsarina, I had to deal with politicians and their power games because I needed administrators, diplomats, and logistical officers, I had to enforce my laws when it came to Serfdom and landownership, and I needed to know if a border skirmish was brewing, I don't to miss it if today is the day that the border report is an actual threat. IF Yelizaveta is to become my successor, then she will need to be ready for the exact same scenarios.

"I know Yelizaveta, it annoys me too, but father had to deal with it too and I'm sure he was just as annoyed as we are, it's just the reality of being a ruler." I gently reminded her, careful to suppress the meaner parts of my internal monologue, I didn't want to seem like I was drilling anything into her head, after all, she's only two years younger than me so it's not like I'm dramatically smarter than she is "But hey, we're here in Kolomenskoye and things will be a little bit more peaceful for awhile, but in the autumn I intend to really begin my rule over Russia, expanding our borders, building Churches and Palaces for glory, and crushing our enemies, we'll have a legacy, that I promise you."

"You definitely have lofty goals," my little sister laughed "You don't have to rebuild Russia in a day Nastya, we're young, we're healthy, don't let the crown force you to grow up overnight."

"Maybe I want to grow up overnight." I grinned, she just shook her head and opened up her book, careful not to let me see the contents. This aroused my curiosity, I scooted closer to her to see what she was reading, she moved the book away from me but I got on top of her and grabbed it before pulling back to my original position, leaving my little sister flushed and defeated, her secrets were mine now - I saw the words that told me everything I needed to know: love, passion, lips, and...wait...it was two women. I looked Yelizaveta in the eyes, she averted my gaze, staring off into distance, I decided to ask the question "Are you...?"

"Yes," she answered, not even letting me say the word, as if everything would remain normal as long as neither of us said the word, I could mentally imagine dismantling The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, gaining access to The Black Sea as well as control of Kiev in the process, but I had no idea how to address this - I suppose that from a religious perspective, I should be mad, homosexuality is prohibited in The Russian Orthodox Church, from a political perspective, I should be mad because this meant that my sister wouldn't want to marry our produce children, and from a social perspective, I should be mad because I would have to ward off her male suitors and perhaps even hide her female lovers, but I wasn't mad. I didn't know what to feel.

"How long have you known?" I asked after a pregnant pause, obeying her wishes and avoiding the word, I could be as vague as possible and both of us would still know what I'm talking about, this wasn't exactly an everyday phenomenon. I'm sure that homosexuality isn't that rare, but how many people in Russia have the courage to even consider the possibility let alone accept it?

"A year and a half," Yelizaveta answered, still avoiding my gaze, scared of where this line of questioning would go - I wouldn't turn this into some sort of inquisition, I was just curious, it's not everyday that I learn a fundamental revelation about my sister through her reading choices. I was trying to do my best and be a supportive big sister but I felt that in order to do that, I had do be informed.

"How did you find out?"

"I..I kissed a servant girl. She was my age, she liked me, and I know that no one would ever believe her so I kissed her and I liked it and..." Yelizaveta started stammering as tears started flowing from her eyes and she got choked up to the point that she could do nothing more than to sob. I hated to see my sister crying, but on the other hand, this was at least something that I could deal with.

"Oh Liz," I pulled her close to me and let her sob into my neck, stroking her long blonde hair. I tried to avoid letting her sexuality bother me despite the proximity, I could feel hot tears flow down onto my collarbone and I felt her arms tighten around my waist, I held her close nonetheless, we were sisters after all...I mean that didn't stop The Borgia...no, it's my little sister crying and me comforting her, that is all that it is, don't make it more than it is. My sister is a homosexual, that didn't mean that she's some sort of incestuous pervert. I had to be strong, strong for my sister, so I let her cry until all the tears in her body were expunged, I let her release a year and a half of pent up confusion and inner turmoil into my shoulder. I felt the tears stop and Yelizaveta remained there for a few more moments before sitting up and cleaning herself up a little bit more, wiping the tears. I adjusted the strap of my dress from where she had cried, the frills were a bit crushed but I hardly cared, it was now summer so I wouldn't be wearing a black dress like this much at all, even if it was sleeveless.

"Thank you," she said, Yelizaveta never had the chance to cry about this, she didn't want to tell anyone about it while my father was alive and it took me taking her book by force and figuring it out on my own for her to admit it to me, she couldn't cry to a servant because servants shouldn't see royalty cry and I'm not sure if the servant she kissed would take Liz crying very well, but I'm her older sister, I'm her flesh and blood family, and I'm the one that didn't get mad when finding out, I wasn't prepared for this at all, but at least I was managing so far, letting her cry it out.

"You're welcome Liz, I'm sorry for asking so many questions." I apologized, I know that I pressed too far, too quickly, my sister didn't even want to reveal her sexuality from me and moments later I was asking her about how she knew her sexuality, sure I can ask those questions eventually, but I did go too far too quickly, this was the equivalent of shooting a fort with a few cannonballs and immediately charging a fort and then acting surprised when the wall is still fully formed, I rushed it and I would never get the result that I wanted. I would never make the fortress mistake if I was leading troops as The Tsarina and I should never make this sort of mistake as a big sister again.

"No need to apologize Nastya, I should've told you a year and a half ago, you shouldn't have had to steal my book to find out." Liz replied, her eyes stained from crying but she wasn't sad anymore, she got it out of her system, she wasn't exactly happy yet, but she was better off than she had been earlier, her answer gave the down-to-Earth maturity that I was used to, she was young and she had a lot on her plate, but she was helping me stay grounded despite my ambitions and my more belligerent nature - I could already imagine Yelizaveta worked hard to reign me in while I try to push even faster and faster for my plan of getting Russia to the top, even if I know that trying to expand everything about Russia so quickly would likely push our borders too far, stress our economy too much, and cut too many corners with rapid construction in cities, someone like Yelizaveta would measure the rapid growth that I had planned for Russia, therefore, we could become the perfect team, The Tsarina and her brilliant sister, one a ruler, the other a realist.

"You don't have to tell me anything until you're ready." I assured her, there would be no more interrogation for today, I would pry more information out of her later, at a slower rate. There was a pregnant pause as neither of us knew what to do now, a massive bombshell was dropped, tears were shed, apologies were made, and now both of us sat here, I wanted to be here for my sister and Yelizaveta didn't have anything to do now that we were here in Kolomenskoye away from the hustle and bustle of Moscow - Yelizaveta would be Tsarina if anything happened to me, but I could tell from her complaint earlier that she would be happier as my right-hand woman than she would as The Tsarina herself.

"So," Yelizaveta eventually broke the silence, finally turning to face me, my blue eyes and her interlocked, I could see a small relief smile on her face and the same expression echoed ten times louder in her eyes, my sister felt as if a massive burden was off her shoulders, sure life in Moscow isn't what she wanted, but that was never what really bothered her, what bothered her was having to deal with all of that on top of the pent up drama of her newfound sexuality, of course it was stressful for her, learning her sexuality, our father's death swiftly followed by my coronation, and the looming possibility of war - war was certainly still possible, perhaps they'll mistaken my two months of caution for inaction and weakness - but I think that we've weathered the worst of it now, I may have been a Tsarina, but I was determined to be a good sister as well as a good ruler.

"So what?" I asked.

"Well...what about you?" Yelizaveta asked, I thought that I knew what she was asking about...but why would she ask that? I haven't done anything to give conclusive evidence about my sexuality either way, as far as I know, I'm straight, but I've never had any reason to question that before today. I haven't felt any sexual or even romantic feelings for a man yet, but I've never met or seen a man who I would marry yet, I couldn't marry a local politician or a local noble, that was not befitting of a Tsarina, I'd have to marry a Prince at very least and I haven't encountered any Princes quite yet, surely when I do, then I'll feel something, but right now, my little sister coming out to me is my only experience with sexuality.

"What about me?" I asked, making sure that we were both on the same page here, I didn't want to make a fool out of myself trying to make sense of my sexuality as a virgin who hasn't even had her first kiss at eighteen if I didn't need to.

"Well...are you?" She was asking exactly what I thought she was asking.

"I..." I honestly didn't know how to answer, as I said I have no experience to go off of, Yelizaveta at least had her first kiss to base her sexuality off of, I didn't even have that much. I think I'm straight because that's what I've always thought of as the default sexuality, I hadn't even encountered a homosexual before today, much less expected my own sister to be one "I don't know, honestly...why are you asking anyway?"

"I don't know...I think you are." Yelizaveta gave a shrug, I could've asked why she thought that or what she thinks that I can do, but I reckon that it's just a hunch, but her guess is as good as mine, she grabbed the book and looked over to me, no longer ashamed of its sinful contents, nor was I outraged by her reading it, in a few short questions Liz changed the whole conversation, it went from being about her revealing her sexuality to me into me doubting my own sexuality...if there were points for this sort of thing, I've definitely lost, all I've really been able to accomplish through this is getting Liz to answer a few questions and then cry until she couldn't cry anymore, meanwhile, she's spun my whole perception of my sexuality on its head, and all of it became because I skimmed through and caught a few choice words from that book of hers "Do you want to read a little bit?"

"Sure, why not?" I responded, no harm in it I suppose, I scooted next to Yelizaveta as she opened the book across her laps, her sexuality but this close intimacy into a new light, but I wasn't afraid, she's gay, maybe we're both gay, I don't know at this point, but we're sisters and if this book is going to change the context of our relationship from here on out, then I might as well get through more of this book that just a few telling words, I turned to my sister, well aware that our faces are as close as they have been thus far and I asked her "What's it about anyway?"

"Two women, Tatiana and Yekaterina, both of them are the daughters of nobles in Tsaritsyn reaching maturity and beginning a secret affair. Yekaterina is the adventurous one, always ready to try something knew with Tatiana, but Tatiana will always match Yekaterina touch for touch, never letting her lover keep the upper hand...the author, a woman from Tsaritsyn...is very descriptive." Yelizaveta explained, excited as her face began to blush a bright red, this was certainly a very raunchy book, I have to admit, I didn't think that Yelizaveta would go for such a vulgar novel, but I learned a lot of new things about my sister, and potentially, I'm going to start learning about myself, maybe I'm gay, maybe I'm straight, maybe I'm somewhere in between, but thanks to Yelizaveta, I was eager to find out, though, a thought occurred to me...if I'm gay and she's gay, then...

"You realize, Liz, that if you're right about me being...like you, then Sofiya will kills us both." I pointed out, our twelve year old little sister would go from third in line to the throne to the one responsible for continuing on our dynasty.

"Oh...oh wow." Liz realized it too before smirking at me "Well, you're the older one so I'm sure that she'll deal with you first."

Light-hearted moment over with, the two of us dived into the romantic and sexual lives of Yekaterina and Tatiana...very interesting lives indeed.

* * *

I spent the rest of the day wandering around Kolomenskoye, unable to get the thoughts of Yelizaveta's book out of my idea, the images of lips pressed against lips, bodies and breasts pressed together as hands wandered anywhere and everywhere, I could even hear the shrieks of pleasure from Tatiana as Yekaterina left a trail of soft kisses down her stomach - Yelizaveta wasn't wrong, it certainly was a descriptive book...where the Hell could she have possibly found it? Erotica lesbian literature, printed in perfect Russian no less, is not a particularly common thing in 17th Century Russia. Perhaps the middle child of The Royal Family wasn't quite as innocent as I had believed. I was in this confused and ponderous state when I entered one of the larger sitting rooms in Kolomenskoye only to see the last thing I wanted to see on a day like this - minor Muscovite nobility - the very politicians we were trying to avoid by coming here had followed us from Moscow - two of them showered Sofiya with gifts while my fifteen year old younger sister - just eleven months younger than Yelizaveta - put on a fake smile and gave fake praise to the sycophantic nobles: good girl. Three of them, including a General, stood in a serious semi-circle and talked quickly in hushed tones, my hearing was strong enough that I caught the word Sultan. Oh no, first my whole understanding of my own sexuality is ripped apart and now The Ottomans were up to something again - was it a border skirmish? Did they beat The Persians? Did The Persians beat them? Did The Europeans muster together yet another ragtag army of Venetians, Germans, and Hungarians to go on an ill-fated Crusade?

"Tsarina Anastasia I," a butler announced my presence, I mumbled out a thank you as the nobles turned to me, I heard a sigh of relief from Sofiya as the General took the lead, approaching me and bowing, taking his large hat off of his bearded head as a show of respect, the other nobles followed suit. One wanted to kiss my hand but I refused him, I hardly needed to add fuel to the fire of sexual confusion burning within me.

"My Tsarina, my name is General Vladimir Perevernykruchenko, I commanded The Cossacks for your father, the late Tsar Aleksander I. My colleagues and I bring both good news and bad news from The Turks." The General announced, The Cossacks were the cream of the crop of The Russian Cavalry, dominating The Steppe just as Tatar horseman had before them. They were loyal supports of The Tsardom, perhaps even more loyal than The Russian infantry regiments that make up the majority of our army.

"Very well General Perevernykruchenko, tell me the bad news first." I stood up perfectly straight and crossed my arms behind me back, doing my best to come across as the personification of the ideal Tsarina - beautiful, smart, perfect posture, perfect manners, soft-spoken yet brutal and efficient - Russia was surrounded by powerful enemies and I would have to be absolutely cutthroat to realize my ambitions of dismantling The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, trampling The Khanates, eviscerating The Ottomans, and decimating The Swedes.

"Yes my Tsarina. The Sultan has crushed The Persians, conquering Armenia and push all the way to Baku on The Caspian Sea, our allies in Georgia are threatened, if The Ottomans attack The Georgians, only The Caucasus Mountains will separate us from The Turk." General Perevernykruchenko explained - we would have to intervene if Georgia was threatened, especially since my mother was a Georgian Princess. The Ottomans already border us due to their absorption of The Crimean Khanate into their realm, they stand in our way to The Black Sea and now they stand in our way to Persia, war between us is all but certain, the tensions go back centuries, ever since The Orthodox Church fled Constantinople to Moscow, making Russia The Third Rome and The Ottomans nothing more than conquerors even if they present themselves as Islamic Romans.

"And the good news?" I asked, hoping that it would balance out The Sultan's conquests. The Ottomans already controlled virtually all of North Africa with the exception of Morocco, much of The Arabian Peninsula, The Levant, Baghdad, Crimea and the surrounding Steppe, and now they ere encroaching on The Caucasus Mountains which have long served as the southern border of Russia following our conquest of The Nogai Khanate and The Great Horde a century ago. Both Russia and The Ottomans have one thing in common, as much as it pains me to say, and that is that both of us conquer at an astronomical rate compared to The Europeans, who conquer slowly, incrementally, finding their opponents an even match rather than a vastly unprepared and inferior enemy. We have pushed out of the chains of The Tatar Yoke into the fringes of Siberia, leaving The Siberian Tatars separated from their brothers in Central Asia, both of which we intend to conquer, The Ottomans meanwhile, went from Beyliks in Anatolia to arguably the dominant power of The Mediterranean which influence as far away as The Indian Ocean, but for all their power and influence, they are not Russians, they cannot beat us. War with The Ottomans is inevitable now with what The Sultan has done, but I will deal with my other enemies first, I will not face The Turks until I am ready, and when I'm ready, The Ottomans will be pushed out of The Caucasus and Crimea forever, Crimea shall be our Gateway to The Black Sea and, beyond that, to The Mediterranean, while The Caucasus will be our bastion against Turks and Persians alike - Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians will serve in a new Army of The Caucasus that will protect of southern flank, much like The Army of Siberia that expands our possessions beyond Yekaterinburg every day, building roads, bridges, and fortifications that extend our reach farther and farther into Siberia, or The Army of The Tsar here in European Russia, this is the army that I intend to use very soon.

"On his way back from his Persian campaign, the young Sultan was betrayed by his Levantine bodyguards - he was stabbed forty-six times before The Janissaries reached him - he perished before they could even think of helping him. The Sultan was only nineteen and he had killed all seven of his brothers and two of his cousins to get the throne, this left his one year old son as Sultan. I don't know yet who will become his regent, but I would suspect The Grand Vizier." General Perevernykruchenko explained, his noble colleagues nodded in agreement. This was very important and very interesting news, The Sultan died young without any brothers left to succeed him, such an event has never happened before, The Ottomans have gone from strong ruler to strong ruler ever since they conquered Constantinople, but with Sultan Suleyman III dead and The Ottoman Empire faced with a regency, this could finally be the moment of weakness that everyone in Europe and countless people in Asia have been waiting for...this had to be too good to be true.

"Are you sure?" I asked as my brain filled with plans and opportunities now that The Ottomans were teasing us with weakness - something finally managed to wrestle my brain from perverse thoughts of Yekaterina and Tatiana from Yelizaveta's book, if only for a moment. I wanted to be absolutely sure of this before I let myself get too excited. The new Sultan was only one, I had over a decade to exploit their weaknesses, but The Poles, Swedes, and Tatars would let their guard down thinking that I would pounce on The Ottomans - I could prepare full invasion armies under their noses with all of Europe thinking that I was going to invade The Ottomans, only to march my troops every direction but south, perhaps I could even regain the old Rurikovich heartlands in Ruthenia and Byelorussia, the lands around The Medieval Russian capital of Kiev. I would be patient with The Ottomans, the more valuable lands were in Polish-Lithuanian hands, not in the greedy paws of The Turk, control of The Baltic was in Swedish hands, not Ottoman ones, and the lands of northern Asia were held by numerous petty Khanates rather than in the hands of The Turkish conquerors of Constantinople.

"I'm positive." a nobleman next to The General replied.

"Very well then gentlemen, I will meet you in Moscow in a week to plan for war." I told them, they no doubt assumed that I was referring to The Ottomans as they shuffled out of my home and left Kolomenskoye, but that's fine, they will learn soon enough that my first target is The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with its port of Zaporozhe providing us with a first of many ports on The Black Sea. I sat down as my brain cleared itself of politics and thoughts of that damned book started taking over yet again, with a mental grown I turned to Sofiya, my other sister, and hoped that I could distract myself from these blatantly homosexual thoughts with a conversation with the fifteen year old, she placed their unnecessarily bejeweled gifts in a chest that she probably won't open for months before feasting on chocolate - apparently the nobles had realized that all the gold and jewels in the world couldn't impress Sophie nearly as much as chocolate, an increasingly popular sweet made with these cocoa beans from The New World "Hello Sofiya."

"Nastya," she greeted, her mouth stuffed with chocolate - it took her another minute to even consider that I want some too, but even then, her mouth was still filled to the brim with chocolate "Want some?"

"Yes actually," I said as she handed me part of her chocolate bar, this particular concoction was from The Duchy of Brabant within The Spanish Netherlands, ruled by Spain yet part of The Holy Roman Empire, its position near the major trading powers of France and The Netherlands, as well as being part of the mighty Spanish Empire which controlled most of The New World meant that Brabant was well situated to get those cocoa beans to make this chocolate - I certainly liked it, though unlike Sophie, I could at very least chew and swallow it before talking, even if my brain was intent on turning every single word of that book into a permanent memory "I trust the nobles haven't made you too spoiled."

"Spoiled? Me? Never," Sophie laughed as she licked the chocolate off her lips at sat up straighter on the couch that she had been lounging on, her face cleaned up, her back straight, and the image of an ideal Princess appeared where there had been a lazy teenager being showered with gifts and letting herself devour as much chocolate, the image then twisted itself into my sarcastic young sister aping all the pomp and circumstance of The Russian Court - but it was necessary, The Third Rome must be a grand and opulent place and Moscow must be the grandest and most opulent city of Russia, because Moscow is the capital and Moscow is the seat of our autocephalous Russian Orthodox Church "My blessed Tsarina Anastasia The Great, I am your humble sister, The Tsarevna Sofiya Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, please forgive me for sharing my chocolate with you, after all, you may become fat and a Tsarina cannot be fat!"

"I'm not fat," I huffed in reply, I was thin, probably lighter than Sofiya despite being taller than her - I'm 5'11, the tallest of the three of us, Yelizaveta is 5'9, and the fifteen year old Sofiya trails behind us at 5'4 - she may have been shorter than the two of us, but Sophie was clearly our sister, her blue eyes and blonde her matched ours and her youthful beauty rivaled mine - Yelizaveta was the most attractive of all of us, but it seems that her looks won't be of much use to The Russian Court, it seems that my beauty won't be useful either, therefore, continuing on our lineage fell to the fifteen year old. I know that I should tell her, I should probably tell her now, not only because she had to know that her children would be Tsars or Tsarinas, but because she was our sister and deserved to know that Yelizaveta was gay and that at this point, I was pretty sure I was too. I should've done it, but I didn't, I stayed silent, pretending to be upset because of Sophie's remark but in reality, I was upset because I didn't have the courage to tell my own sister that I was probably a lesbian.

"Well you never know, keep taking bit after bit of chocolate and you may end up as bloated as an Austrian Archduchess." Sophie grinned, deliberately ignoring the fact that she offered me the bit of the chocolate bar and then trying to distract me with a snide at The House von Habsburgs who were Holy Roman Emperors. They had a reputation for inbreeding and their women tended to be notoriously unattractive with heavy, round faces and corsets stressed by holding their waists together while they walked slowly and awkwardly on shoes far too small and far too elegant for the two left feet stuffed into them, nevertheless, The Habsburgs worked their way into countless royal families, including that of Spain and Burgundy, both of which are now Habsburg realms.

"I have to take it from you, if you devour a whole bar once again, you'll have the teeth of an elderly commoner." I retorted, in response, Sofiya just flashed her perfectly straight white teeth, the chocolate wasn't doing anything to stain her perfect teeth, teeth that twisted into a perfect smirk as my little sister thought that she won - Sofiya was all about enjoying royal life, she didn't care much for the diamonds and gold that she got as gifts, but the chocolate, the dresses, and the flowers? Sofiya loved those things and she developed a silver tongue to show false gratitude to these generous nobles and to counter any criticism that Yelizaveta or I could dish out at our sister's increasing extravagance. It wasn't greed or avarice though, she just liked to be happy and she was always ready to make her two older sisters look just as good as she did, sharing her various bejeweled gifts.

"If I'm an elderly commoner, then you're as old as Rurik himself...and still unmarried." Sofiya teased, I cringed as a wave of images of Yekaterina and Tatiana from Yelizaveta came over me...I knew that I wasn't going to marry, I knew that Yelizaveta wasn't going to get married, however, royal custom demands that the youngest daughter cannot marry until after her older sister's have married, that's a custom older than The Tsardom of Russia or our predecessor state The Grand Principality of Muscovy. Tradition was one thing, but I was The Tsarina herself, if I wanted to change the royal customs that I would, but I wouldn't do it unless Sofiya understood the circumstances and agreed to get married first, courage be damned, I had to let Sofiya know that neither myself nor our middle sister were going to get married, even if I wasn't ready to explain why.

"Why should I be married? Maybe I'm happier alone - are you?" I began, I wasn't sure how to get to the topic in question, so I decided that I might as well start with introducing the subject of my fifteen year old sister getting married.

"I want to get married." She answered, cautious now, not sure where this conversation was going to lead "I'll find myself some foreign Prince with a chiseled face and a mind like a Renaissance man, strong enough to carry me off to -"

"Alright!" I interrupted, the imagine of a Prince taking Sofiya off to her chambers disturbed me more than anything...Yelizaveta's hunch was starting to look more and more plausible by the minute "Well...you're almost sixteen, you're almost at a marriageable age, why not find yourself a Prince, you could be married in a few months if that's what you want - you're my sister and I want you to be happy, say the word and I'll do everything I can to make anything and everything happen for you - ask me to move mountains and I'll get every miner in The Tsardom to turn it into a pile of pebbles."

"Aren't you supposed to get married, you're the oldest." Sophie's eyes narrowed, she knew that there was more to this than what I was telling her, she was right, of course, but I still wasn't ready to tell my developing secret and it wasn't my place to reveal her secret.

"So?" I asked "Tradition be damned, if you want to get married, just tell me the second you find your suitor and if that's not what you want, just let me know, I just want for you and Yelizaveta to be happy and for Russia to be prosperous.

"Okay..." Sofiya trailed off, knowing that there's more to know but patient, knowing that I'll tell her when I'm ready.

* * *

I tossed and turned in bed that night, my body burning with desire, desire for Yekaterina, desire for Tatiana, desire for the book, and desire for anything feminine, I knew that there was only one day that I was going to get any sleep and that was to surrender to my new sexuality and to sin. I peeled off my undergarments and let my hands sin, embracing the thoughts that have ravaged me all day long. Yelizaveta was right, I was homosexual.

* * *

I love you all, peace out!


	2. Standing at The Crossroads

Alright everyone, this is chapter two of Legacy of The Romans and here we will turn to Helena of Gothia, the official wife of the late Sultan Suleiman III and focus in on the brewing power struggle within The Ottoman Empire. Please read, review, and enjoy!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter II.

Standing at The Crossroads.

* * *

I was born an Orthodox Crimean Greek in The Principality of Theodoro, my father had been The Sovereign Prince and it seemed that I would've been his heiress, however, The Ottomans annexed The Crimean Khanate and moved quickly to expel The Genoese from The Pontic Steppe, it was obvious that Theodoro was next. A power struggle engulfed The Ottoman Empire and bought us some time, but Suleiman III murdered his brothers and took the throne, ready to conquer Theodoro with absolute brutality against Theodoro's population of Greeks and Goths. My father was a realist, he knew that we couldn't win a war against them, he offered to surrender his realm without a fight if The Ottomans allowed us to flee to Genoa. Suleiman III refused, but after I, at only nineteen, sacrificed myself to a life as his obedient wife, thus, my father and the rest of the family fled to The Italian city-state while Theodoro was absorbed into Ottoman Crimea and I was forced to convert to Islam and joined my new husband in Konstantiniyye, known as Constantinople to the west. I have been Sultana for two years and a year ago I gave birth to our first and only son, Abdullah Timur Osman, he was now Sultan Abdullah Timur I. My son was only a year old, but he was destined for greatness, he bore dozens of legendary bloodlines, he was the heir of The Ottoman dynasty, and, in addition to his grandfather Abdullah's name, he wore the name of Timur, also known as Tamerlane, the latest of the great conquerors to tear through Central Asia and Persia. The Timurids at one point had been a worthy opponent to The Ottomans, before they were destroyed by internal conflicts and all sorts of separatists, now, a new Persia has risen up from their ashes, created by The Qara Qoyunlu Sultanate after we pushed them out of The Levant and Bagdad. This new Persia was a large and Shia Empire and thus, it was a natural enemy to the larger and Sunni Ottoman Empire, hence, my husband had defeated them and took eastern Armenia and Baku as his prize, crippling Qara Qoyunlu Persia and reestablishing Ottoman glory, only for my husband to be stabbed in the back by his own troops, leaving my son as his only possible successor.

Of course, Sultan of The Ottomans was only one of my son's many, many titles, he was Padishah, he was Caliph, and perhaps most importantly, he was Kayser-i Rum, meaning Caesar of Rome. He is the blood of numerous Byzantine Princesses from both The House Palaiologos and The House Komnenos and our ancestors have claimed Rome by conquest of Constantinople - a claim that was recognized by The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, though not by The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus, nevertheless, my son had the blessing of The Orthodox Church, The Russians had the blessing of their heretical offshoot, a heresy has now place in deciding who has the right to claim descent from Rome. My son had the backing of both Sunni Islam and The Byzantine Church, therefore, it was my duty to ensure that The Empire that he inherits will be even greater than the one that his father left behind - I was only twenty-one years old and I was entirely aware that my blood is Crimean Greek rather than Turkish of Byzantine, but my father had raised me to take the reigns of The Principality of Theodoro and, while The Ottoman Empire was certainly much more of a challenge, I would manage, I would strengthen our army, I would expand our borders, and I will eliminate anyone who threatens my son, whether they be within or without my borders. In order to do that, however, I would need to pry power away from The Grand Vizier who already thought of himself as The Sultan's regent - I would have none of it.

"Helena, I only have your son's best interests at heart, entrust his regency in me and I shall see him educated in The Turkish ways and prepared for The Sultanate, it will be for the best for The Ottomans and for the best for your family." Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, a conservative Anatolian Turk who my husband had appointed as Grand Vizier despite the fact that the post has traditionally been granted to Europeans in order to appease our vast populations of Greeks, Bulgarians, Turks, and Serbs, though I suppose that taking a Greek wife was also a way to appease The Europeans, even if I was of a Crimean lineage descended from Anatolian aristocracy within The Byzantine Empire rather than European lineage. There were three of us in this particular room of Topkapi Palace - myself, The Grand Vizier, and Captain Filip Draganov, a prominent Bulgarian Janissary entrusted with protecting me and my son here in Konstantiniyye while my husband had been away fighting The Persians. The boyish Captain and I had developed an excellent working relationship and we would soon see the fruits of that relationship.

"I am more than capable of administering The Empire and taking care of my son, Ibrahim, and I will not be questioned." I replied sternly, hoping that a final warning could force The Grand Vizier to back down before Captain Draganov and I had to get our hands dirty "Back down now while you can still salvage your career as a Grand Vizier, you can't win this Ibrahim, no one is going to side with a politician over the mother of The Sultan."

"You do not know this Empire, girl." Ibrahim replied coldly "The Ottomans will not stand for having to submit to a woman, I will not stand for it, a female has never held the throne and a female never will, not even as regent - back down while you can still salvage your life - no one is going to side with a Greek convert over a born-and-raised Turkish Grand Vizier."

"You are making a mistake Ibrahim, give up or the consequences will be irreversible." I warned him once again, perhaps I shouldn't have bothered, but I didn't want to have The Grand Vizier killed so early within my reign as Grand Vizier, but he was leaving me no other choice. I don't know how much clearer I can make it that I will be my son's regent and nobody shall stand in my way of delivering him the strongest Empire that Europe, Asia, or Africa has ever seen, equal to, and perhaps even greater than Rome, standing proudly at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

"No, you are the one making the mistakes - do you know who are enemies are? The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would love nothing more than to let their Winged Hussars trample over The Balkans, The Persians will jump at the chance to reverse their losses against your husband, The Holy Roman Emperor already wants to expel us from The Pannonian Basin, The Portuguese and The Spanish will leap at the chance to conquer Algiers once they're done with The Moroccans, and The Russians...do I even need to lecture you on how dangerous they are?" The Grand Vizier spoke with unhinged rage, clearly trying to intimidate me with his greater height and mass, I refused to so much as flinch, even as his awful breath assaulted my face - I knew that if I backed down now, it would only prove The Grand Vizier right, to surrender now would be to become a coward and to give in to Ibrahim Pasha, I would not allow this, I would stand my ground and then Captain Draganov would show him the consequences for resisting me. I had to be cutthroat in order to survive as a female regent within The Ottoman Empire, as much as he was being a power hungry disobedient fool, he did have a point, if The Ottomans got a hint of weakness, they wouldn't hesitate to dispose of me, however, The Anatolian Pasha failed to consider one very important thing - The Janissaries, the elite bodyguards of The Sultan and his family, were Christian boys from our Balkan, Armenian, and Crimean provinces who were forced to convert to Islam and live under strict conditions as slaves: they couldn't marry, trade, or worship freely, therefore, The Janissaries, such as Captain Draganov, sympathized with me and I sympathized with them, therefore, The Grand Vizier would be lying in a pool of his own blood in a few moments while I act as my son's regent.

"Get the Hell out of my Palace." I replied, Captain Draganov grabbed him and pulled him away, the thin yet very competent Captain turned to me, I gave him a nod and he pulled out a short dagger. I watched as Draganov stabbed the struggling Grand Vizier in the hip, he screamed but he managed to break free and pulled out a weapon of his own, stabbing Draganov in the gut, but not before the Captain swung his blade through Ibrahim Pasha's throat, killing him with a bloody mess. The Grand Vizier fell on the floor dead with a food as blood poured over the tiled floor of this room. Captain Draganov covered his stomach wound - I saw a large hole in his uniform from beneath his small and oddly delicate hand, but I didn't see a drop of blood nor did I see The Captain in any real pain. His face grew pale as I realized that something was very strange here "What is going on here?"

"I'm fine, kind regent, my armor took the blow of his stab." Captain Draganov lied, he adjusted his hand over the hole in his clothing but I could still see it, I could still see the evidence of Draganov's lie and he knew that too, but the young and soft-spoken was too nervous to tell me - very well then, I was a smart woman and I could figure this out. I circled around Captain Draganov slowly, preventing The Captain from turning around - I saw the dark hair tied into a tight ponytail just beneath his large Janissary Captain's hat, I saw his legs which were thinner and at the same time more curvaceous than a man's legs, I noticed that he looked wider in the front than at the back and once he moved his hand, I saw white feathers from beneath his clothing - a pillow.

"You're wearing a pillow beneath your clothes." I informed her, less than impressed with finding out that my co-conspirator hadn't been honest with me, even though The Grand Vizier lies dead mere feet away from us. I would arrange for that to be cleaned up in a moment, but before I could, I was going to find out what exactly was going on with The Captain, I may need to pin The Grand Vizier's death on The Janissary and have him killed because of this, but I could hope that, besides this one issue, my co-conspirator has been honest with me

"I'm aware, my kind regent." Captain Draganov's voice seemed more and more feminine with every sentence that he said, I didn't know if this was an actual development or if I was just becoming more and more aware of Filip's feminine side. I could visualize the female body below her armor and clothing, she had large breasts which she helped disguise with a pillow beneath her chest, evening out her front and making her look more barrel chested than female, The design of her uniform did a hood job of hiding her hips but her legs gave her away, as did the ponytail, though long hair wasn't a particularly rare trait among men in 17th century Europe, but that combined with everything else meant that now everything made sense - Captain Draganov was a woman in disguise. I grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away from the dead body of The Grand Vizier that was stinking up the room - I needed to interrogated this woman without the stench of a dead body clouding my senses - sure she conspired with me to kill Ibrahim Pasha and sure she did it, but she never told me that she was a she and if she couldn't even be honest with me about that, how could I be sure that she would be honest about covering up the conspiracy? Right now, The Ottomans would have no choice but to accept me as regent, however, there are certain factions of The Empire who will never tolerate a Greek female convert to have a Turkish male who was born-and-raised Islamic killed, regardless of the circumstances.

"You're a woman." Once again I stated the obvious, pointing out something that the both of us knew, if for no reason other than to rub in the fact that I know and the showcase my displeasure at being lied to. I was not mad because Captain Draganov was a woman, obviously that would be hypocritical of me, in fact, I could guess at some of the reasons that she would disguise herself as a man and impersonate a Janissary, especially considering that the alternative is a less than stellar life within The Sultan's Harem, an indulgence that even my husband Suleiman III had engaged in, albeit in his case, he didn't produce any children with The Harem...not that I know of anyway, in the two years that we were married, we never became particularly close, my love is for my son and my son happens to have had a Sultan for a father, therefore, I am doing what is best for The Sultanate for my son, not in honor of my late husband who was much more of a conqueror than a husband, lover, or a father, not that I minded all that much.

"I know." She replied, clearly embarrassed at being found out and not willing to say more. The problem here is that The Captain who called herself Filip Draganov is a fabrication and I had no way of knowing if anything else she told me is a fabrication or not - for all I know, the moment that I let her out of my sight she will gather up Turks to overthrow me and kill me, using Ibrahim Pasha as a martyr. I needed to make sure this assassination was kept as small and tightly-managed secret, the public would hear that Ibrahim Pasha died of natural causes, with only myself, Draganov, and two trusted members of The Topkapi Palace staff to clean up the mess knowing the truth, this is what I need to be regent and this is what my son needs in order to become Sultan one day. I was well aware that this assassination could be my undoing as well as his, therefore, I needed to ensure that Captain Draganov has been and always will be honest with me.

"You have lied to me." I announced, artificially adding venom to my words to make myself seem far angrier than I actually am in order to intimidate the poor Balkan girl - I hated to do this, but I knew that I had to, my son's future depended on it.

"My fair regent, I did nothing of the sort." She pleaded, now she was actually lying to me, she knew damn well that she had deceived me with that disguise of hers, even if she didn't outright lie, I was not going to let her wiggle her way out of this on some sort of technicality.

"That's a lie and you know it!" I yelled, who did she think she was lying in my face? Being a poor Balkan girl trying to survive in The Ottoman Empire with her dignity intact is one thing, lying to the regent of that Empire was another, she was testing my tolerance for this sort of nonsense. I had a one year old son in the hands of nursemaids from who knows where, I had one of the largest Empires in history to manage, and I was surrounded by powerful enemies on virtually all sides - I did not need crossdressers interfering in court life on top of all that.

"I never told you that I was a man." She was still trying to win me over on a technicality, as if this was some sort of stupid game. I backhanded her across the face and watched as she fell to the ground, stunned with her Janissary's hat flying off her head - it was almost symbolic, the hat that marked her as a Janissary Captain fell of her head, just like my former co-conspirator was now falling from my grace.

"Do not test me girl, I did not get into this position by being fooled by people like you." I growled, pulling her up by her shirt collar, still depriving her of that Captain's hat of hers "Give me one reason why I should keep you around."

"I'm the only Janissary Captain you can trust to be obedient to you, the others can be bought by men like The Grand Vizier, but you know my secret and without your protection, my position would crumble, therefore, you have my undying loyalty!" The Captain pleaded, real tears in her eyes now - our conspiracy was successful but despite that, Draganov - or shall I say Draganova - could see her position crumbling all around her, for good reason too, she was desperate. Desperate as she was, she made a compelling point, while my background did mean that I had sympathy from The Janissaries, sympathy hardly guaranteed loyalty, but the threat of her career collapsing and either being stuffed in The Harem or killed outright meant that she would be loyal, she had no choice. I could work with this, she would serve as my pocket Janissary, my go-to contact, and my obedient servant.

"Well...what is your name?" I finally asked, wanting to know her true name if nothing else because I agreed to anything.

"My name is Olga Filipova Draganova, Filip Draganov is my father." She revealed both her true name and her father's name, The Bulgarian Janissary was finally being honest with me, that much was making it easier to stomach her previous lies, I suppose that I'll take her up on her offer, after all, she's armed with a dagger and she hasn't killed or even threatened me yet, that alone deserves a little bit of trust.

"Very well Olga, I'll keep your secret, but you'll be my personal Janissary - you are loyal to me, not your fellow Janissaries, not to anyone who claims to represent the best interests of The Ottoman Empire, not even my government officials, you take your orders from me and me alone, understood?" I would certainly find a use for her, but only if she was ready and willing to be put to use without asking any ruinous questions, she proved herself very useful when she killed The Grand Vizier but this crossdressing Bulgarian Janissary would have to do a lot more to remain in my favor, she would be my spy within The Janissaries, she would be my private assassin, and she would be my General, but I would be her mistress.

"I understand, my fair regent." She bowed her head and I allowed her to grab her Captain's hat once more, returning to the façade of Captain Draganov, but to me she would always be Olga and I would not forget that she was exposed. She was dealt with, now I just had to find a couple of loyal members of The Palace staff to clean up after The Grand Vizier's messy death.

* * *

I wore a long black headscarf with gold, white, red, and green patterns decorating it along with a green and gold dress as I walked around Topkapi Palace, waiting impatiently for the sun to set so I could finally retrieve Abdullah Timur from the nursemaids, but I had to wait. The Palace staff had already cleaned up the mess and disposed of The Grand Vizier's corpse, his death would be explained away later at which point I would appoint my own Grand Vizier and assert my authority as regent and acting Sultana, but I had to wait. I wanted to know what our enemies were up to, in particular The Russians, but I had to wait. Waiting, waiting, and waiting, I was only twenty-one years old, two years ago I was an Orthodox Christian heiress, now I'm prepared to spent over a decade at the helm of the very Muslim empire that swallowed up the realm I was supposed to inherit - I should be Princess of Theodoro at most, what was I doing as Sultana of The Ottomans? I had skills, sure, but I had the skills for a minor Principality in southern Crimea, I didn't truly have the skills to be Sultana, did I? Yet here I was, having Grand Viziers killed, raising the child of a man I should hate but instead I married, and waiting anxiously for _something_, anything to happen just so I didn't have to confront my own doubts. The Grand Vizier and Olga were useful obstacles, but now the former is dead and the latter I effectively turned into a terrified slave - this is no place for a twenty-one year old Greek, this is no place for some stupid girl on a stupid mission for a son that I didn't even consider having until I surrendered myself to The Sultan - I still shudder when I think of his greedy paws groping my body, roughly squeezing my breasts without caring if I was in pain, and brutally penetrating me with his member - I had lost my virginity that night, but there was no pleasure in it. Abdullah Timur is the result of that wretched night and a part of me wishes that it never happened, but he is my son, he is my flesh and blood, I may be unworthy, I may be weak, I may be in way over my head, but this isn't about me, this is about my son and I did not go through that awful night just to let him down!

I was determined but I was also conflicted, I was confidant but I was also deeply doubting myself, I was certain but I was also uncertain - it's days like this that drive me absolutely mad, I couldn't be a Sultana like this, I couldn't even be a mother like this - I needed something to calm me down and quickly, before I have to actually do anything involving either of those positions - I feel like I'll explode if I don't find a way to relieve a lot of stress right now. I wandered Topkapi Palace searching for such a stress relief - The Janissary Headquarters? No, I was in no mood for war or politics. The Palace Mosque? No, I was in no condition for praying and I certainly didn't want to deal with Clerics right now. The Bath house? No, I was in no mood to sweat through a Turkish bath right now. I sighed, nothing seemed to provide an ounce of sanity here, of course, I could do what my husband had always done and go off to that damned Harem, but I was better than that, I had no business dealing with the latest batch of crying teenagers that The Ottomans have kidnapped for The Sultan's enjoyment. Part of me wanted to disband The Harem right now and end that disgusting practice, but I didn't want to deprive my son of the method that every Sultan up until now has used to grow their dynasty, after all, I didn't want Abdullah Timur I to be the last Sultan, if he decides that he must use that disgusting institution to give me grandchildren, then I shall let him reach maturity and make that decision on his own, but until then, I will ensure that those girls will go unharmed. In the mean time, perhaps I would find a source of some sanity and relief outside of Topkapi Palace, out there beyond these Palace walls is the city of Konstantiniyye, or Constantinople, or Byzantium, or New Rome, or Miklagard, or Istanbul - the city with a thousand names, a thousand wonders, and thousands upon thousands of secrets. The city of The World's Desires but the city I've never really had the chance to see, really I've only see the harbor that I arrived at and the grounds of Topkapi Palace, I've never seen the real city, I've never seen the really people of Konstantiniyye, all I've ever seen is what The Ottomans have wanted me to see - that needs to change.

I knew that The Palace guards would never allow me to walk through the proper entrance, so instead, I went to a secret exit near the corner of The Topkapi Palace complex - Suleiman III showed it to me as a way for myself and my son to escape in case of a siege on Konstantiniyye by any of our many, many enemies - I'm sure that the rare event of an Ottoman regency has definitely emboldened our enemies and I was certain that the balance of power here in The eastern Mediterranean, The Near East, and eastern Europe would change radically, this is the kind of political crap that I constantly have to worry about, all without anyone to talk to, all without anyway of venting, all I have is myself and my baby son who's a year old and still hasn't made a single step or said a word yet. This is why I needed to get the hell out of The Palace for a little bit, because even if I failed to find anyone to talk to out there, escaping The Palace for a little while would at least provide some relief and an excellent distraction for the afternoon until I could finally liberate my son from the nursemaids.

I slipped out of The Palace through the secret exit knowing that the common people would never know how I looked like, in this dress and this headscarf, I could pass for any wealthy Greek woman in Konstantiniyye, the population of Greeks here in their former capital city was still quite high, though The Ottomans made sure that more and more Turks settled in the city at the crossroads of the world. I wandered through the bustling streets filled with every color imaginable, I wandered through the bazaar at rush hour, wandering past crowds of people attending to stalls manned by shrewd salesmen - I heard haggling, I saw beautiful and colorful ornate rugs, and I smelled smells that I never smelled before. I unconsciously walked over to one of the vender's stalls, grabbing a beautiful smelling flower and pulling it to my nose, inhaling in the exotic scents and enjoying the brave new world outside of the confines of Topkapi Palace.

I was brought back to Earth by the salesman clearing his throat, I sheepishly set the flower back down and apologized before making my way out of The Bazaar. I was a little embarrassed over having had sniffed a flower in public with no intention of buying it - I probably came across as a total fish out of water, which granted, I was - but I was still happy that I did it, I have been in Konstantiniyye for two years and this is the first time that I've truly had the chance to see the city. As I was leaving The Bazaar, I noticed something very interested.

I saw Olga outside of her Janissary uniform, she wore a regular sleeveless blue dress with a low neckline - such clothing would never be worn by an Islamic woman in Konstantiniyye but I already figured that The Captain practiced Orthodox Christianity despite the forceful conversions of the boys that became Janissaries. The guards would not take kindly to seeing a Janissary wandering freely and acting outside of Islamic traditions, but when the guards saw Olga, they didn't see a Janissary Captain, they saw an attractive young Bulgarian woman living in Konstantiniyye, making a living, and doing her shopping. I followed her at a distant, interested in the double life of my new personal Janissary - this wasn't even about gathering blackmail material, I was just curious. I followed her through the streets of the city and into a modest apartment building, I followed her up the stairs and I stopped at the corner and watched as she made her approach to her own apartment door - I wouldn't go so far as to follow her into the apartment itself. Olga scanned every direction, evidently having felt someone following her, I hid behind the corner and waited for her to brush it off as paranoia following her interrogation earlier today. I watched as she finally turned around and knocked on the door, another young woman, a Slav as well judging by her appearance opened the door, they thought the coast was clear when they shared a kiss before slipping into the apartment - like I said, a city with thousands upon thousands of secrets.

I took a scenic route out of the apartment building, walking past Olga's door - I couldn't understand any Slavic language but I caught my name, Olga was likely telling her lover about me figuring out her secret today...I felt guilty when her voice broke and a smooth stream of what I assumed was Bulgarian gave way to tears - she was just another woman trying to make the most of her unfortunate life in Konstantiniyye, and today I threatened to rip it all away from her simply guess she hadn't revealed her secret to me during our assassination conspiracy against Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha. I left the apartment building feeling angry at myself, once again I failed to do the right thing, once again my doubt was overtaking me - I couldn't return to Topkapi Palace, not yet anyway, I needed to find something that would let me forget my day and my mistakes, only then could I return to The Palace and confront the challenges of a mother and an acting Sultana. Olga has a life and loved ones outside of the sphere of Topkapi Palace, yet I was a damned fool and failed to consider that there was more to her than the potential mole who could break the news about the assassination plot - I almost wrecked her life just because she didn't reveal to me that she was a woman in disguise despite the fact that it was ultimately inconsequential to the conspiracy or its aftermath. Who knows how many sleepless nights I caused for Olga and her lover? Who knows what she might do to escape from being my personal Janissary - given that I've never explained the limits of what that entails, admittedly I never fully thought about it myself, but now I'm realizing that perhaps Draganova expected something far darker than what I had intended. I can certainly sympathize with Olga, especially given that I had bad experiences with my late husband Suleiman III. I will be sure to talk to Olga tomorrow once she dons the identity of Captain Draganov once again and from there we can reassert our relationship and effectively start over.

I left the apartment building and walked to the docks along The Golden Horn, seeing all kinds of ships with all kinds of goods, everything from exotic goods for The Bazaars around the city to highly explosive gunpowder for the infinitely massive Ottoman military operating everywhere from The Tigris and Euphrates rivers in our Near Eastern provinces to Algiers in The Maghreb, from The Persian Gulf to The Pannonian Basin where our forwardmost outposts threatened the core of Europe, even Vienna, from The Holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the south, up past the third Holy site of Jerusalem all the way north to Crimea and The Pontic Steppe, including my homeland of Theodoro. The Ottoman Empire was a massive, massive state, but the thing in The Empire that was drawing me more than anything else was The Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia was an engineering marvel, created as a Chalcedonian Christian Church at the height of The Byzantine Empire before the fall of Constantinople to The Ottomans when we converted the now Orthodox Church into a mosque, and over the more than a century and a half that we have ruled this city, we have raised the four minarets surrounding it.

I made my way from the harbor over to The Hagia Sophia, making my way through afternoon Konstantiniyye, passing people of every creed and color - Muslims, Christians, Jews, Turks, Greeks, Arabs, Egyptians, Armenians, Albanians, Venetians, Genoese, Kurds, Bulgarians, Serbians, Romanians, and Gypsies - groups from all over The Ottoman Empire congregated together here at the heart and soul of our civilizations, The Europeans will never think of us as anything more than The Turkish conquerors of Constantinople, but the truth is far more complex, The Ottomans are more than just the homogenous Turks that The Europeans love to imagine us as, Turks are just the ruling group in an Empire of many, Islam is just the state religion of an Empire of numerous faiths, and Konstantiniyye is the heart of our homogenous Empire, The Ottomans are now inseparable from our capital. The Hagia Sophia was now an Ottoman landmark rather than a Byzantine one, we turned this Church into a mosque that was uniquely of our own, even if The Europeans will never accept that. The Europeans will never accept anything about The Ottoman Empire, not our size, nor our power, and not our claim to The Roman Empire, but I didn't care, my son would achieve greatness and I would present him with the largest and greatest Empire this side of China once he reaches maturity, even if I have to dismantle The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Tsardom of Russia in order to accomplish it, this was my son's legacy and it was my duty to see him crowned Sultan here at The Hagia Sophia.

But was I worthy of the task? It was easy to say that I wanted to wipe out The Poles and The Russians, but it was another thing to actually do it. The Poles and Lithuanians ruled a vast territory and their Winged Hussars produced enough noise and fought valiantly enough that they could intimidate our infantry into vastly overestimating their numbers and fleeing as Polish lances thrusted into their backs, killing the would-be cowards. The Russians were even more dangerous, they ruled an even vaster realm and their Cossacks ditched the heavy armor of The Polish Hussars for deadly speed, similar to The Tatar horseman that once occupied The Russian Steppe before being Russified and replaced by The Cossacks, not to mention the new ruler of Russia, Tsarina Anastasia. She could be harmless, she could be our worst nightmare, no one knew for sure but nobody wanted to poke the sleeping bear that is Russia. I looked at The Hagia Sophia, it was a Greek Church that was converted to Islam, but how much effort would it take to turn it back into a Church? Tear down the minarets, add a cross to the top of the dome, and fill the interior with pews and an altar once again. I was a Greek who was converted to Islam, how much effort would it really take to leave this life behind and join my family in exile, now that Suleiman III was gone, the agreement between him and my father, the former Prince of Theodoro, was now void, wasn't it? I wouldn't mind ruling over a smaller realm, a low pressure realm, but this was The Ottoman Empire, I couldn't do this, I couldn't fill my wretched husband's shoes for a son who may become just as wretched, this wasn't a place for someone like me. I went beyond the grounds of The Hagia Sophia and continued on until I reached a perch from which I could see all of Konstantiniyye. I saw The Golden Horn emptying out into The Bosporus, beyond that, I saw The Black Sea on one side and on the other side I saw The Aegean Sea leading out into The Mediterranean, and between it all, I saw both Europe and Asia. The crossroads of the world and the crossroads of my life. My heart longed for freedom, my heart longed to give up the regency and leave The Ottoman Empire, but my heart also longed to see my son Abdullah Timor again, and my mind knew that I had to return to Topkapi Palace, it is for the best for my son, even if it's not the best for me. I took a deep breath and I made my way away from the perch and found my way back to Topkapi Palace, for better or worse, my life was here.

* * *

"My fair regent," a young Greek nursemaid bowed, carrying Abdullah Timur with him, I was grateful to see him once again, he spends all day with the nursemaids but I spend the evening with him before putting him to bed, I did not allow my new position in The Ottoman Empire to keep me from being the mother to my one and only child, I was now regent, yes, but I was the regent to my son and on top of that, I was his mother and I had to take care of him at least some of the time, otherwise Abdullah Timur may think of these nursemaids as his mother figures.

"Hello Xanthippi," I greeted her, she has been around my son for long enough that I've learned her name and committed it to memory. I asked her the three questions that I always asked her when she returned Abdullah Timur to me, I didn't want to miss any of the vital moments in my child's life and I know that around now he should be beginning to say his first words or start walking - I admit that I'm rather concerned that neither of these things have happened yet for my precious son, but I was still hoping that it would happen soon and that Abdullah Timur would grow up to be a perfectly functional Sultan once he reaches maturity "How was he today? Did you manage to get a word out of him yet? Has he made his first steps?"

"Why don't you show her? Come on, you can do it Abdullah, just liked you said earlier." I smiled as Xanthippi let Abdullah Timur see me, I saw the one year old begin to smile and I saw him recognize me, I braced myself for the wave of happiness that was inevitable, I know that Abdullah Timur has finally reached a milestone and I cannot wait to hear it.

"Mama!" I practically shrieked in joy when Abdullah Timur said mama, he knew me now and he has spoken his first word, the nursemaids may have witnessed it first, but this is a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

"Perfect...just perfect." I smiled, wiping tears from my eyes, I was grateful that this happened if nothing else but I wanted to know if there was anything else so once again I addressed Xanthippi "Can he walk yet?"

"Let's see." Xanthippi said as she gently lowered Abdullah to the ground, setting up the young Sultan on the ground and holding him from beneath the arms, gentling leading him forward as Abdullah Timur's instincts began to kick in and he began to move his shaky feet. I inhaled sharply - this could be it! I watched as Xanthippi slowly began to pull away, at first, it seemed like my son was going to make it, he was going to walk over to me alone, but then he noticed that Xanthippi had let go of him and he tried to turn around, only to lose balance and fall over onto the carpet below us, beginning to cry. I scooped up my son and pulled him to my chest, trying to calm him down, I gave a smile and turned to Xanthippi.

"He'll learn soon enough, but this...this was a good start." I told the nursemaid as I assumed the role of Abdullah Timur's mother, calming him down and letting him drink from my breast, I would experience child rearing, even if it wasn't full time.

* * *

Alright guys, I surprised myself when I managed to get chapter one and two done in time for uploading them both. I'm glad because I got to introduce both The Tsarina and The Sultana, but from now on chapters will be uploaded every other week, with chapter three and probably four being Anastasia chapters. On off-weeks I post chapters of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles over on fictionpress - check it out!


	3. The Invasion of Ruthenia - Part I

Greetings and salutations! We return for chapter three of The Legacy of The Romans, this will be an Anastasia chapter, as will chapter four, five will be another Helena chapter, and six will return to Anastasia. I haven't figured out exactly how many chapters will be Anastasia chapters and how many will be Helena chapters, but right now I'm thinking that two-thirds of the story with be Russia chapters will one third is Ottomans chapters, should that shift more towards Russia or more towards The Ottomans, I'll let you know, but for now, that's my plan.

Also, I know that nowadays it's just Ukraine and Belarus, however, due to the setting of this story being The 17th Century and from a Russian perspective no less, I shall refer to them as The Ukraine or Ruthenia and Byelorussia respectively.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter III.

The Invasion of Ruthenia - Part I.

* * *

I had returned to Moscow from Kolomenskoye to meet with General Perevernykruchenko and the other generals. Yelizaveta had insisted on accompanying me while Sofiya had remained at our estate outside of the city proper. I didn't blame her, but I knew that this opportunity was far too great to pass up - The Europeans, including The Swedes, were preoccupied with the battle between Catholics and Protestants in The Holy Roman Empire, The Hordes are being kept in check by patrolling Cossacks repelling their raids, and The Ottomans were dealing with a succession crisis and regency for the first time in centuries, this was the perfect time for a strike against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. No more alliances, no more entangled interests, no more incremental gains back and forth, it's time to end this with one war to liberate all of The Ukraine and Byelorussia. This was finally going to be a real fight, one country against the other - Poles and Lithuanians on one side, Russians and People of The Rus on the other. If I can win this war, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will lose more than half of their land, access to The Black Sea, and will never recover - this war will be a war that reshapes eastern Europe forever, and I was gong to be at its helm with my beloved sister Yelizaveta at my side. From my perspective, everything was perfect, now I just had to get my generals to agree to this.

My generals expected us to try and attack The Ottomans, taking advantage of the crisis, however, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth expected us to do this as well, therefore we could catch them off guard and reclaim The Russian ancestral homeland of Kiev. This was the right move for a few reasons, first of all, The Sultan is only one, we have at least a decade's worth of disputed leadership in The Ottoman Empire and probably more, second of all, even without clear leadership The Ottomans are a very dangerous threat and Ruthenian and Byelorussians troops will be necessary to give us a clear edge in such a war, and third of all, The European powers would object to such a crushing blow to The Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth if they weren't preoccupied with their religious squabbles, therefore, it may be decades before such an opportunity presents itself again, The Ottomans can be crushed whenever and The Europeans would be grateful. The Ottomans have also taken advantage of Europe's squabbles to seize almost all of Hungary, the rest is now in Habsburg hands, therefore, The Austrians would want to push The Ottomans out of Hungary as soon as they are done with their wars within The Holy Roman Empire. I was more interested in Crimea and in pushing The Ottomans out of The Caucasus - I would bring Eastern Armenia as well as Azerbaijan into The Tsardom of Russia and then The Kingdom of Georgia, an independent realm and the home of my mother shall be peacefully absorbed as well, fortifying the frontier with The Ottomans, Crimea meanwhile would give us control over the northern Black Sea and would mean that Constantinople itself would be within striking distance of our navies.

I didn't think that we could realistically incorporate Constantinople into our realm, but we could put The Ottoman capital under siege and we could use that threat to guarantee us passage through The Bosporus, thus allowing Russian vessels to reach The Mediterranean. Victory over The Poles and later over The Ottomans could truly bring Russia into The European fold, no longer could we be ignored, no longer could we be dismissed as a large but ineffective power, we could instill fear as far away as Paris with the mere thought of Cossacks storming the fringes of Europe just as The Mongols had centuries prior. Now, our army was more than just Cossacks, but those horsemen are what installed fear along all our borders - rapid, light cavalry that can tear apart entire squadrons before their allies even have the chance to respond. Our infantry was no slouch however, we have built a 17th Century army which favors the shot over the pike in battle and therefore, our firearms are more advanced than our enemies expect - though our pikemen aren't slouching either, for we have a line of pikemen for every two lines of shooters, therefore, while our men reload, our formations are far from static. Throw in grenadiers and our numerous cannons and it becomes clear that Russia is fully prepared for war. My father, Tsar Aleksander I made sure that our armies would never allow Moscow to be threatened again after The Resurrection of Moscow and he ushered in a massive modernization. I would unleash this modern army of vengeance on The Poles and Lithuanians and finish what they started, the dominant power of Eastern Europe will always be Russia from now on and the riches of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will be put towards rebuilding Moscow to be truly amazing, to be a city worthy of the title of The Third Rome.

Moscow is a great city already, built on seven hills surrounding The Moskva River, just like Rome, Constantinople, and other great European cities such as Lisbon and Jerusalem, but it deserves to be greater. Moscow must have architectural wonders of Rome and Constantinople, the religious significance of Jerusalem, and the explorative zeal of Lisbon, right now, Moscow has Saint Basil's Cathedral, serves as the seat of The Patriarch of Moscow, and from Moscow, I direct the exploration and colonization of Siberia - this is not enough, Moscow deserves more and Russia deserves more. Constantinople has been rebuilt countless times following the rise and fall of various dynasties and, admittedly, was rebuilt once again following Ottoman occupation, albeit in a rather tasteless manner, meanwhile, Rome has architectural marvel after architectural marvel, from The Colosseum to the nearly complete Saint Peter's Basilica, that is what I'm striving for with Moscow and I'm eager to rebuild Moscow in a grand, baroque style, likely with the help of Italian architects, sculptors, and artists to make The Russian capital as culturally vibrant and significant as any other city that claims to be The Third Rome. A new Palace, a new Cathedral, and a new district of the city, combined with new populations of Ruthenians, Byelorussians, and additional Cossacks, that is what is worthy of Moscow, once that is done, the explorers and the religious significance will come, the shining new city of Moscow shall attract them.

We entered The Moscow Kremlin in Red Square and reached the fortress' meeting room where Perevernykruchenko and the other generals waited for us, all the while we could see the colorful turnip domes of Saint Basil's Cathedral peaking up from over The Kremlin's walls. The Kremlin and The Red Square served The Grand Principality of Muscovy and then The Tsardom of Russia quite well, but it was time for change and we would fund that change with Polish and Lithuanian gold, a beautiful new future awaits Russia, and it all begins here in this Kremlin meeting room. I turned to my little sister Yelizaveta, this was going to be a crucially important meeting and one day, when I'm gone, she was going to be Tsarina, therefore it is absolutely critical that she pays attention here. I won't ask her to be silent however, she's bright and she may even be a greater Tsarina than I'll ever be, so if she sees something that she thinks will help us against our enemies, then I'm eager to hear it, even if it'll be yet another thing I have to convince the generals of going along with.

"Are you nervous?" I asked at the door, whispering softly in order to keep this conversation private, after all, the generals were just inside. I've gotten a lot closer to Liz ever since I found out she was a lesbian and soon after realized that she wasn't the only one - it's not that I see my sixteen year old sister as someone else entirely because of her sexuality, but we now held each other's biggest secret, therefore, we've created a whole new layer of trust between each other, and weird as it may sound, the mutual ability to destroy the other's entire life has brought us closer than ever before. she's pretty much been a constant companion at my side since our conversation and I'm eager for the two of us to rule Russia together, for the two of us to find lovers, and for the two of us usher in a golden age for Moscow and for Russia in general. A whole new world was awaiting the two of us, The Russian sisters, Tsarina and Tsarevna, Anastasia and Yelizaveta. I'm not sure if she felt this situation in the same way as I did, but I was scared, I was thrilled, and I was glad that Yelizaveta was here to keep me sane, but I was just hoping that she could use me to keep herself sane as well - I was the older sister after all and it was better for her to be happy and sane than it was for me to be happy and sane. I can manage the stress of being Tsarina, but my little sister didn't have to, and I didn't want to put her through this unless she wants to - as great and important as this would be for her as a Tsarina, I don't want it to derail her life as my sister. I was torn, what's best for my sister? The Tsardom or the family? I wish I had the answer, but I also knew that she won't back out now even if this isn't what she wants.

"I'm fine Nastya," she smiled, it was a true smile, I could see the eagerness in her eyes - she was onboard for this plan, but that didn't necessarily mean that this iis the right plan for her, or for either of us for that matter, but we're together and we're going to win this war and then we're going to reinvent Moscow before the two of us turn our attention to The Ottoman Empire in the south. I do have to admit however, her eagerness was contagious, my worry began dissipating and I stopped thinking of what I should be doing now and instead I started thinking of what Yelizaveta and I could be doing once all of this was over. We'd have a nation's treasury at our disposal and, while the bulk of the money would go towards revitalizing and rebuilding Moscow, I will be certain that my beautiful young sister is rightfully compensated with her own fair share of Polish and Lithuanian riches as a thank you for being here with me, for any and all of her contributions to the war effort, and for providing me with someone who can help me keep my humanity as I go off to war and taken on the burden of countless deaths on all sides. The future could be very ugly, but fortunately for me, I had a secret weapon that none of my enemies could identify let alone match, and that secret weapon was my little sister Liz, eager, beautiful, and wise beyond her years "We're in this together, right? You and I at the helm of this unruly ship that is Russia while we steer it through The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and regain our ancestral homeland. I'm ready for this Nastya, you're ready for this, let's go and make history."

"Alright Liz, I'm ready too, let's go." the two of us turned forward, I held her left hand in my right while my left hand and her right hand grabbed each of the two double doors, we stopped for a moment, both of us taking our respective deep breaths and mentally preparing ourselves for the war we were about to unleash upon eastern Europe. We were ready and we opened the double doors, entering the meeting room to orchestrate The Invasion of Ruthenia. This is what my father always wanted to do, he wanted revenge against his Polish and Lithuanian enemies and he wanted all of The Kievan Rus returned to Russia hands. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania used the power vacuum left over by The Mongols to absorb many of the western Russian Principalities, just as we had done with the eastern Russian Principalities, but then Lithuania was joined with Poland and their combined might crushed The Teutonic Knights and conquered Prussia, therefore, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth emerged as our rival, both of us prevented the other from dominating over all Russians, needless to say it was always going to end like this, The Poles and Lithuanians would be reduced to a shadow of their former selves and Russia would once again rule over Ruthenia and Byelorussia, now was the time to build an Empire, all at the expense of our traditional rival.

"Generals of The Tsardom of Russia!" I called out, making my big entrance, letting go of Yelizaveta's hand as I raised my arms up high, I was their superior and I was taking over this planning stage, therefore it was time to introduce myself with all the splendor and all titles befitting The Empress of The Third Rome "I am Tsarina Anastasia I Aleksandrovna Rurikovich of All Russia, Tsarina of Russia, Tsarina of Tatarstan, Tsarina of Caucasia, Tsarina of Siberia, Grand Princess of Muscovy, Grand Princess of Novgorod, Princess of Tver, Princess of Ryazan, Princess of Nizhniy Novgorod, Princess of Pskov, Princess of Beloozero, Princess of Perm, Princess of Smolensk, Princess of Rostov, and Princess of Yaroslavl. I hold numerous titles and I shall hold countless more after our next war. The Ottomans are not our prey, not this time, no, instead, we are going to take advantage of the situation and liberate our brothers and sisters in Ruthenia and Byelorussia from the scourge that is The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth! We are fighting to return The Russian banner to Kiev, an accomplish not seen since The Mongols trampled over Europe and turned us into weaklings, but no longer, we will crush The Poles, we will crush The Lithuanians, we will crush The Swedes, we will crush The Khanate, and we will crush The Ottomans! Anyone who stands in our way will face the full might of Mother Russia!"

"Poland?" General Perevernykruchenko asked and I nodded, apparently all he needed was confirmation because he immediately got to work, he began writing a letter and as he wrote, he explained what he was up to "Very well then, I can get The Cossacks in Zaporozhe and Ruthenia to rise up against their Polish masters. Not only will this strengthen our invading forces, but it will deprive The Poles and Lithuanians of cavalry support until The King of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and his personal army of Winged Hussars can arrive in the disputed territory."

"Excellent General, I am sure that The Cossacks will out do themselves" I smiled at the general for his valiant and immediate contribution, now I just needed to get the other Generals on board for my plan and get them to start gathering troops, I'm sure that it wasn't going to be an easy task mind you, but it was all I had right now and that was good enough for me - I could make the Generals talk and I could ensure their loyalty, all I need them to do was to be willing to listen, because otherwise, what's the point of being a Tsarina if I couldn't enjoy all of the privileges associated with being a Tsarina? Another such benefit was wide support amongst the military, that support is what I shall use in order to bring these generals to my cause if all else fails. I tried to get something more out of my generals before I would even begin to appear to take a more hostile tone against my seemingly apathetic generals, with the obvious exception of General Perevernykruchenko who has proven to be quite a helpful man "Support from local Cossacks will be an excellent advantage for our cause, but is that all that we have? We must have something that will truly give us an edge over The Poles and The Lithuanians and whoever else dares to oppose us. I need concrete plans, gentlemen, all of us do, so please, if there is anything that you can say that can help us, then say it now, otherwise this could prove to be a much longer war than it ever needs to be. I intend to end this war victoriously as soon as possible and to walk away with all of Ruthenia and Byelorussia - this war is not just about getting revenge on our Polish enemies, this war is about reclaiming the legacy of Rurik himself, the founder of our great dynasty and the first ruler of The Kievan Rus!"

"That was a wonderful speech, my dearest Tsarina, congratulations." A different General respond "My name is General Simeon Feodorov and I am well educated in our western neighbor and their military, essentially, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is well fortified in Poland and in Lithuania proper, but this does not extend to the territories that The Grand Duchy of Lithuania gained in The Kievan Rus following The Mongol invasions. Overall, Lithuania is poorly defended, there's not very many fortified cities, especially not in Ruthenia and Byelorussia - Kiev and Minsk are the most defended cities in the region that I can think of. Poland will be a more difficult task due to all the fortified cities and castles in the western constituent of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, if we can occupy all of Ruthenia and Byelorussia, encircling Kiev and Minsk before laying siege, then we can entrench ourselves in the land that we want, repelling Polish and Lithuanian counterattacks until The King and The Sejm are too exhausted to prolong this war."

"With all due respect, my Tsarina, I believe that General Feodorov's plan is far too slow and far too taxing on our supply lines, what we need is a war that is as rapid as possible, we must break The Poles and The Lithuanians, otherwise they will never accept our lofty terms." Another General argued, Perevernykruchenko stayed silent and allowed his two colleagues to bicker "I am General Dmitri Mikhailovich and I think that a march upon Warsaw itself is what will force The Poles and Lithuanians to capitulate, not a prolonged war of attrition in Ruthenia and Byelorussia."

"Why not do both?" Yelizaveta asked after a period of silence, all eyes turned to the young Tsarevna as she appeared uncomfortable yet determined, she didn't like this situation but she wasn't going to let that stop from achieving exactly what I wanted out of her from this meeting and then going above and beyond that "We can encircle Kiev and Minsk, lay siege to the cities, and then we can march upon Warsaw? That way we can have the occupied territory and the threat of their capital falling weighing on the heads of The King and his Sejm."

The Sejm was The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's assembly of nobles, this assembly elected The King of Poland and outlined the rights of The Polish and Lithuanian citizens - citizens were a miniscule majority and in Poland being a citizen was almost entirely synonymous with being a noble so it was hardly a true democracy, however, it was certain closer to democracy than my increasingly centralized and increasingly autocratic Tsardom of Russia or The Habsburg monarchy in Austria and northern Hungary which seeks to turn the position of Holy Roman Emperor into a hereditary position - the actual Habsburg territories, such as The Kingdom of Bohemia and The Archduchy of Austria are hereditary monarchies, but they are hereditary monarchies within The Holy Roman Emperor and therefore subject to an elected figurehead, though that position is virtually always filled by the heir to The Habsburg holdings, but we shall see how this war between Catholics and Protestants affects The Empire - rather than having to be an elected, just like The Polish crown. The Russian Tsardom is a traditional monarchy operating on a primogeniture system, females can inherit, but males have preference - though even if Sofiya gets married and gives birth to a son, I will ensure that the throne passes to my sister Yelizaveta rather than passing to my theoretical nephew. This simple succession is not always the case, many states in The Holy Roman Empire for instance have, up until recently, practiced gavelkind succession, which means that land was split up roughly equally amongst male heirs, this was the case in Austria, in Bavaria, in Saxony, and in Pomerania, leading to some particularly egregious titles such as The Dukes of Upper Austria and Lower Austria - though these states have all either changed their succession laws in the former three cases or disappeared all together in the lattermost case. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's elective monarchy keeps the large realm together but it does not result in long dynastic lines or in particularly clear succession following unforeseen tragedies, perhaps with this war, we may kill a Polish King or two in order to kick off such an unexpected and disorderly election.

"I think my sister presents a fairly good case Generals, we'll get to attack rather than wait around but we don't gamble everything on a march upon their capital of Warsaw. I'm inclined to agree with her plan - our artillery, our numbers, and our support from local Zaporizhian and Ruthenian Cossacks will give us a deadly edge over The Poles and The Lithuanians, I think this will work, I think that it will work quite well in fact. Does anyone object to our plan?" I asked, looking around the room at Perevernykruchenko, at Feodorov, at Mikhailovich, and at the other Generals and military officers gathered here for this meeting, but none of them objected to her suggestion, probably because it was a compromise between the plans of two of our respected Generals "Very well then, I believed that it's best to use two army groups for this war, one can gather in Smolensk and the other can gather in Tsaritsyn before moving forward to the border with Byelorussia and with Ruthenia, respectively. The former shall storm through Byelorussia and besiege Minsk while the latter occupies the south and isolates Kiev, allowing both army groups to lay siege to the city before marching into Poland itself together. Who shall lead each army?"

"I should be in charge of The Ruthenia campaign, after all, The Zaporizhians and Ruthenians we will recruit to serve us will be more willing to listen to one of their fellow Cossacks than one of these glorified Muscovite infantrymen." General Perevernykruchenko requested, taking the opportunity to sneer at his colleagues Feodorov and Mikhailovich, odd that he seems to have a problem with Muscovite generals given that he associates with Muscovite nobility based on his company during his visit to my sisters and I in Kolomenskoye last week.

"My Tsarina, I request that I accompany Vladimir, someone needs to keep him in check." It reminded me of little bickering school children when General Feodorov turned to me and asked me to intervene, deliberately addressing General Perevernykruchenko by his first name in order to disrespect The Cossack general. I may have only discovered my sexuality recently but I never particularly wanted to have children, this sort of bickering was a good reason as to why. I was eighteen, Yelizaveta was sixteen, and Sofiya was fifteen, therefore, when we were young, the three of us bickered quite a bit, much to my mother's chagrin and my father's amusement, but we're past that now, our bickering is now just light-hearted banter.

"Very well General Feodorov, but I respect the two of you to work together - do not let your personal grudges derail our war, otherwise I will ensure that neither of you return to Moscow with any career at all." I gave General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov a severe warning before turning to General Mikhailovich "General Mikhailovich, you shall help me command the army group in Byelorussia, we will have the larger army given that Perevernykruchenko and Feodorov will be reinforced by local Cossacks and infantry."

"Very well, my Tsarina." General Mikhailovich bowed before me and my sister and the other generals soon followed suit, I was their Tsarina after all and I think that I've managed to show myself as an authoritative figure - if for no other reason than the generals did not impress anyone with their shameless bickering and petty squabbles, that, admittedly, is still an issue with Russia's otherwise world class army - and hopefully I've planted the seeds of respect amongst these men, hopefully a victory over The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will win over any last doubters I have here in The Tsardom and its military. Though a victory over our western neighbor was easier said than done.

* * *

I arrived in Smolensk to find General Mikhailovich and The Russian Imperial Army. I saw our core of Muscovite infantry arranged in pike-and-shot formations that favored the shot over the pike, I saw The Cossacks that served as the pride of our cavalry along with units of heavier cavalry and even some Hussars that supported them, and I saw numerous cannons, cannons that would tear apart the walls of Minsk and of Kiev. This was only the fighting element of The Russian Imperial Army, with the army we also had supply caravans, tents, extra horses, livestock, metal and wood to use for repairing our cannons or for building siege engines. Now in an age of cannons and star forts, it's not nearly as common to build things like siege towers or catapults, but things like escalades - which are basically ramps used to scale walls, the have the same effect as siege towers while being less of a massive target - or even battering rams - which can still prove useful when knocking down castle doors and such - still have a place on the battlefield and if I needed to use these kind of resources during our conquest of Ruthenia, then I would have access to the building materials, if not, then so be it, but it's better to have and not need than to need and not have. I was not going to march two titanic armies into the ancestral lands of The House Rurikovich only to have my whole campaign collapse due to something as pathetic as lacking a way of assaulting fortresses, we had the numbers and we had the resources to win this war, I will not let simple mistakes cost us.

We really did have the numbers to win this war as I counted dozens upon dozens of Russian flags. The flag of The Tsardom of Russia was a black double-headed eagle upon a golden background. The double-headed eagle was originally a Byzantine symbol but we adopted it as their successor state, albeit with a few changes that are more specific to Russia. First of all, both of the heads are topped by a crown, these crowns are linked up to a third central crown floating up above by the ribbon of The Order of Saint Andrew, second of all, in the right claw the eagle held a scepter while in the left claw the eagle held an Imperial orb, finally, the third change, which is arguably most Russia, is the escutcheon with the coat of arms of The Grand Principality of Muscovy. The coat of arms of The Grand Principality of Muscovy had a red background and on this red background was a depiction of Saint George The Victorious riding horseback over a dragon, Saint George is portrayed holding a spear, about to slay the dragon. This was a perfect coat of arms, I honestly can't think of a better national symbol than a Saint slaying a dragon on a shield over the belly of a double-headed Imperial eagle triumphantly taking flight against a golden backdrop. It wasn't the simplest flag, but simple flags are not good flags, good flags are not inherently complex either, but this is the flag that best represents The Tsardom of Russia and I'm glad to see the countless of golden banners marching our black eagle over the border and into The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, into the country which has deprived us Russians from Kiev, from the very heart of our civilization, but no longer, the city where it all began will soon once again be in Russian hands.

"My Tsarina, we are ready to march." General Mikhailovich reported, I was about to approve it and the army would march off into Byelorussia - the declaration of war should have arrived in Warsaw yesterday and Generals Perevernykruchenko and Feodorov had orders to begin marching today at midnight, so the stage was set for war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - however, a Russian carriage was unexpected speeding towards us - someone wanted to join us before we marched off and I have a feeling that I know exactly who it is.

Sure enough, Yelizaveta stepped out of the carriage and rushed over to me - my little sister wore a cheaper, essentially disposable dress because she doesn't want to ruin one of her nicer dresses by having it be anywhere near a battlefield - I was dressed in a green coat, matching trousers, and black knee high boots as green was the color of The Russian army and our soldiers wore green coats as well, I wasn't going to be fighting but I was going to be on the front lines, therefore, I had to match my soldiers. I was here, realistically, just to boost morale and observe the battle, I had minimal battlefield skills at the moment and the real command was with General Mikhailovich, though hopefully, I could learn a thing or two from the general. I was eager to learn from the general and, one day, I wished to be able to lead my armies all on my own, but for now, I wasn't prepared and I wasn't going to let my own incompetence let such a massive victory, such a massive prize, slip through my fingertips: there was no shame in letting professional generals be generals, in fact, personally accompanying troops to begin with was some what of a rarity, The Habsburgs aren't leading their armies into battle against the Protestants - though admittedly, King Adolf I Vasa of Sweden is personally leading his troops into battle against the Catholics, though the so-called Adolphus Rex is apparently a very competent military leading, as is his young son Prince Adolf - the war within The Holy Roman Empire may lead to yet another complete evolution of European warfare, especially as the comparatively small yet incredibly skilled army of Swedes emerges as the strongest military in The Protestant League, much to the chagrin of German Protestant nations such as The Electorate of Brandenburg or The Duchy of Brunswick-Hanover. I was certainly interested in seeing how The German War progresses and I have sent observers into The Holy Roman Empire to monitor tactics - though nothing will amount of it during this war, as I won't draw out this conflict for any longer than I need to, but I may have to reorganize Russia's forces once again prior to a war against The Ottomans...as well as fortifying the Caucasian part of Russia against Ottoman aggression, however, right now, I was much more interested in finding out why my little sister was here - though I had my suspicions and I'm sure that Liz will confirm them.

"Yelizaveta...I wasn't expecting you." I awkwardly greeted her, I didn't want to say no to my sister, but I didn't want to look like I folded immediately in front of my soldiers, I needed to show them that I was a capable leader of their country and that I would one day be a capable general in my own right, I did not want to show the part of me that cannot say no to Yelizaveta or to Sofiya. I ushered my little sister over to her wagon and gave General Mikhailovich a look, the general understood and he kept the soldiers in line and distracted as I talked to my little sister in the closest thing to privacy that we can reach on this long plain near border with The Grand Duchy of Lithuania within The Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth. I love Yelizaveta, I really do, but I'm about to go off to war and time is of the essence, I don't need to deal with her on top of everything else on my mind - I found out my sexuality a week ago and now I was raising an army to fight the only European country large enough to even come close to interfering with the great mass that is Russia.

"I'm coming with you Anastasia," Liz immediately retorted once we achieved our privacy, she was adamant about coming and I knew that I would eventually capitulate anyway - she was serious enough to use my full name when she, and Sofiya for that matter, tend to refer to me as Nastya, which is The Russian short form of Anastasia, not Ana, and certainly not Anya, regardless of what Parisians may believe - and considering that time was of the essence, I might as well let her come along and not waste anymore time arguing - however, she would have to be even farther from the actual fighting than I was, I was not going to let my favorite sister - any family member for that matter - get injured or God forbid worse on the frontlines, especially when that family member had no business being anywhere near the front line to begin with.

"Fine - you can watch the war, from a safe distance, but you're going to have to be careful, battles can get pretty chaotic and I won't be able to babysit you, so please, don't get yourself killed - I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you under my watch - understand?" I asked Yelizaveta, gravely serious, Liz merely nodded in response. I turned to General Mikhailovich without saying another word about it "General! We march into Byelorussia! We march for glory! We march for Mother Russia!"

And that was that, The Invasion of Ruthenia had begun.


	4. The Invasion of Ruthenia - Part II

Alright everyone, it's chapter four of Romans and it's a big one, we continue from where we left off with another Tsarina Anastasia chapter and the invasion of Ruthenia really gets going here in the second of the two chapters dedicated to it. I hope you enjoy!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter IV.

The Invasion of Ruthenia - Part II.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army marched into Byelorussia practically unopposed, even as we sent out detachments to occupy the unfortified border towns - Lithuania has ruled over Byelorussia and Ruthenia for two centuries now but The Lithuanians still haven't developed it much at all, in fact, most of the nobles here who aren't locals are actually Poles from the other constituent member state of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Poland, rather than their own Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which Byelorussia and The Ukraine are parts of - for the time being anyway. I'm certain that a Polish-Lithuanian response is coming, there's no chance that they'll just let two Russian armies stroll around their country occupying everything, but will they attack this northern army under the command of General Mikhailovich with myself and my sister Yelizaveta observing, or will they attack our southern forces consisting of The Army of The Ukraine and local Cossacks under the command of General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov? Perhaps it will be both, perhaps they will wait until we have overextended ourselves and then the so-called defenders of The Catholic faith will respond.

Perhaps The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is preoccupied with nobles bickering between one another within The Sejm, it certainly wouldn't be the first time - The Kingdom of Poland and now their Commonwealth has been cursed with a strong nobility and a number of weak Kings, they may have an enviable amount of land, but I would rather conquer Poland and Lithuania piece by piece than try and be elected as their King - King, not Queen, Poland is weird about that when it - because I can neutralize the nobility of a conquered realm, I couldn't neutralize the nobility that elected me as their ruler, therefore, as her neighbors grew stronger and stronger, more centralized, and more absolutist, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth remained a weak and feudal state. The Tsardom of Russia certainly wasn't perfect either, we still depended on barbaric practices such as Serfdom and in rarer cases, outright slavery, though thanks to a string of Tsars before me, the nobility in Russia is nowhere near as powerful as it once was and I only intended to weaken it, this war would be the catalyst for me bringing absolutism to Russia.

Naturally, the Polish nobility of Ruthenia and Byelorussia would be uprooted, but, in their place, I would install minor nobles such as Counts and Barons rather than Dukes or Princes who could threaten my authority, likewise, both Kiev and Minsk, as well as their respective surrounding areas, would be governed from Moscow as royal fiefs. I would extend this practice to the outer regions of Russia as well, building new cities to act as royal fiefs in the south, in Caucasia, and in Siberia, this way I could have my direct authority dotted throughout Russia through major cities such as Kiev and Minsk and strategically placed towns such as Yekaterinburg, which is the most important of the settlements popping up beyond The Ural Mountains in Russia's new Siberian frontier, though we will move much, much farther east than just Yekaterinburg, we will expand in every direction until one day, The Tsardom of Russia borders The Holy Roman Empire on one end and the ocean on the other, we will expand from the Persian border in the south to The Arctic in the north. All of this power and this immense size deserves a capital far more glorious than Moscow as it currently is, therefore, in the Viking spirit of my ancestor Rurik, I shall loot Warsaw itself and use the riches of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to transform Moscow into a state-of-the-art planned city by doubling or even tripling the size of the city and centering the city not around Red Square and The Kremlin but around a new square and a new palace, a palace as large and as magnificent as Russia. My ambitions for Moscow and for Russia were endless, beginning here, with this invasion of Ruthenia, nothing will stop mother Russia, not The Ottomans, not The Holy Roman Empire, and certainly not The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, it's time for Russia to rise out of the ashes of Rome and Byzantium and to become the greatest power in the world, Moscow shall be a new Rome and Russia shall be a new Roman Empire!

Thus with vigor we marched deeper and deeper into Byelorussia with Minsk as our immediate prize, beyond that, Kiev, and beyond that, we march into Poland itself where Krakow and Warsaw await, but as we arrived in a clearing between a few hills - not particularly high hills, it was Byelorussia after all, but hills nonetheless - we were about to climb the hill side and continue on our way when we heard a thunderous sound from just beyond the hill. I knew exactly what it was, General Mikhailovich knew what it was, and everyone who was around for the last war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth eighteen years ago knew exactly what this sound was. Mikhailovich and I ordered our men into their battles lines and gave the order to prepare their pikes, meanwhile, we readied our cannons, we were going to need a lot of artillery.

Then, the winged hussars arrived, coming down the hillside, coming down they...were blown to bits by our cannons and those that got past our artillery barrage found only a wall of pikes before their demise. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's elite cavalry depended on the found of their fluttering wings and the noisemakers on their horses to intimidate the enemy and mask their low numbers, but we were used to these tactics, we knew that there weren't ever that many winged hussars and we knew that they were no different from any other type of heavy cavalry, so, we gunned them down and repelled the cavalry charge before advancing up the hill rapidly despite remaining in our combat formations to beat the Poles to the top of the hill. There was a hand-to-hand struggle for the hill top but soon enough we gained the upper hand and, in turn, we gained the high ground, thus, Russian pikes and Russian shot tore into the Poles and the Lithuanians here at this hillside near the town that the Poles called Borysow, or Borisov in Russian. The Polish and Lithuanian infantry was being pushed down the hill and overwhelmed by our superior troops, thus, when I - not Mikhailovich - ordered our Cossacks and other light cavalry units to charge the Polish flanks, their lines collapsed and those who could fled, the others were either killed where they stood or they surrendered. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had proven themselves to be inept here in The Battle of Borisov, now, it was time for us to head to Minsk itself. Onwards Russians, to victory!

Russian boots and hoofs found their way to Minsk and our siege began, we encircled the city and we set up our cannons for a siege. Minsk had modern fortified elements such as bastions and defensive cannons, but the core of the fortifications were aging walls that were fortified with the bricks from when the walls were higher - Medieval warfare demanded high walls which were difficult to scale but they could be thinner because building materials were expensive and there wasn't a reason for walls to be thicker, however, cannons changed that and walls had to be thick and difficult for cannons to breach, but they didn't need to be as high because again, materials are expensive and tall walls no longer provide enough of a benefit to justify the cost - hence it was clear than Minsk would fall fairly quickly, but we expected that given that Kiev is the true bastion of Ruthenia, Minsk is just a particularly troublesome city to topple before we join General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov for The Siege of Kiev.

I stood next to Yelizaveta as we watched the first barrage of cannons - Minsk was pelted with cannon fire from all sides, but, when the smoke cleared, the walls still stood. The defenders returned a volley of fire but our casualties were minimal and our artillery responded by firing at the top of the walls, damaging some of the defensive cannons, killing some of their artillery crews, and frightening the defenders from trying that any time soon. Barrages couldn't be constant, they would be periodic and strategically aimed at weaker and already damaged areas of the wall - we only had so many cannon balls with us and we'd need them for The Siege of Kiev - however, the defenders also couldn't be too wasteful since if they run out of cannon balls or gunpowder, we can build some escalades and assault their bastions whether or not the walls are breached - that's not viable otherwise as escalades are just rolling wooden staircases and therefore aren't very resilient against cannon fire. These fortified cities of Minsk and Kiev were one thing, but after we take Kiev and begin our march for Warsaw, we'll be up against proper modern fortresses and modernized castles, which is why after The Siege of Kiev we'll wait for our supply lines from Russia to catch up with us, we'll be needing a lot more cannon balls, a lot more gunpowder, and a lot more men at that point. Such is the nature of modern warfare, every war becomes a war of attrition in one way or another as resources are exhausted, either by enemy armies or by grueling sieges, there will come a point where The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth only harms itself more by continuing the fight and there also comes a point where the strain of this war will outweigh the benefits of conquering Byelorussia and Ruthenia as well - though hopefully The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gives up long before we have to and hopefully they won't bankrupt themselves doing it, after all, my future plans depend on plundering their riches. The Siege of Minsk was well under way and I knew that it would take some time before it fell, regardless of the outdated fortifications, fortunately for me however, Yelizaveta insisted on coming along for this war with Mikhailovich and I, so at very least I would have someone to talk to as sieges like this one and, later on, sieges of Kiev and, eventually, Warsaw.

"How are you holding up?" I asked Liz as we left the spot where we had watched the cannons and retreated to my royal tent - given that Yelizaveta arrived at literally the last moment, no one packed a tent for her, I couldn't expect her to share a tent with the male soldiers - disciplined as they were, these were barely more than boys and I doubted they could control themselves with a sixteen year old Princess sharing a tent with them, I knew that Yelizaveta was feisty and I knew that she would try and fight back, but it was her against a soldier, more than one soldier quite possibly, look, I'm not going to put her in a tent belonging to the common soldiers, its not befitting of her and I dread to think of what could happen - I wasn't going to put her with General Mikhailovich either, for similar reasons, and I felt that asking soldiers to outright give up a tent for her was cruel given that these men fought for Russia and in turn fought for me, one day, they would fight for Yelizaveta, so she's sharing a tent with me, fortunately my cot is excessively large and it will definitely fit us both quite easily.

"I'm great actually, I'd glad to be here rather than held up in Kolomenskoye or God forbid The Kremlin. It's nice, you know...I think this is the closest we've ever come to camping." Yelizaveta smiled with a nervous laugh as we sat down together on our cot, she started stammering a little bit once we sat down but I didn't mind, I thought that she looked cute when she stammered "It almost feels like the Mongols must've felt, you know? Sat in these tents, with a fire outside, and flat plains all around us, and our end goal is the pillage Warsaw, so...as much as we hate The Hordes, maybe they've rubbed off on us a little bit, I certainly don't feel too out of place here with you...in this tent I mean, it's nice that we're here"

"Well I was thinking of our pillaging as more of our Viking side coming through, though I do admit that we probably have Mongol blood somewhere down the line - you know how it was for us back then, it wasn't until a hundred and fifty years ago that we finally shed The Tatar yoke for good." I admitted, discussing a darker era of Russian history when The Golden Horde ruled over us, forcing The Princes of Muscovy and many, many other Principalities to pay tribute, though Novgorod in the north paid The Mongols not to attack them, Moscow enjoyed no such luxury and Mongol yurts surrounded our cities, even Moscow itself, yet, as The Golden Horde collapsed - into The Great Horde, The Kazan Khanate, and The Nogai Horde, all of which we conquered eventually, and into The Crimean Khanate which, along with Genoese ports and the recently conquered Principality of Theodoro, now form Ottoman Crimea - we filled their power vacuum, absorbing our neighbors, including The Principality of Vladimir, The Principality of Tver, and The Principality of Ryazan, and we formed The Grand Principality of Muscovy, beginning the unification of Russia. Muscovy then conquered Novgorod, fully established our dominance over all of Russian Principalities and with our expansion at the expense of the fragmented Hordes, we more than doubled our mass and absorbed a final few Principalities such as Pskov and Perm before declaring ourselves The Tsardom of Russia, since then, we've expanded into Siberia and have found an enemy in the west, but now, as we besiege Minsk, perhaps we'll finally put an end to the struggles against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, because once The House Rurikovich once again reigns over Kiev, our ancestral homeland, where the Viking Rurik tempered his savage ways, then The Wars of Russian Unification will be complete, I truly will be The Tsarina of All Russia - it won't just be a title anymore, it will be a statement of fact, all of Russia will belong to me.

"It is weird to think of how many times Russia has been conquered, first we had Rurik and his Vikings in the north with Khazars to the south, then The Magyars made their way through on their way to Hungary, next came Pechenegs, then Mongols and their Turkic cousins, and after all of that, The Lithuanians took this place...do you think all we've built can fall again?" Yelizaveta asked, as permanent as civilizations may seem, so many have fallen before us, two Roman Empires have fallen before us, yet here we are, I suppose third time's the charm, but maybe Yelizaveta has a point, what's going to make Russia permanent? A strong military to protect our borders? Our borders are long and only getting longer, we'd need more than just an army to protect all of this. A more unified national and religious identity? Russia is home to hundreds of groups of dozens of different origins, there's Orthodox Christians, there's Muslims, there's Catholic Volga Germans of all people, there's Jews, and then there's pagan Steppe peoples, in Ruthenia and Byelorussia, it's mainly Orthodox Christians, but there's also Catholic Poles and Lithuanians, there's sizeable Jewish minorities, and Muslim Tatars as well, there's probably some Protestants as well due to the theological mess that Europe has been for the last century, all of that's to say that creating a cohesive national identity all around that will be difficult, though if there's Roman descendants as far apart as Portugal and Wallachia, perhaps Russia stands a chance. Strong rulers? I can hope that I'm a strong Tsarina, I can hope that Liz will be a strong Tsarina, I can hope that Sofiya and her descendants will be strong Tsars and Tsarinas, but I can't expect it to go on forever, no civilization has been that lucky. I don't know what will make Russia permanent but I know that there's something that will keep us going, I can feel the world changing, France is becoming permanent, Spain is becoming permanent, England is becoming permanent, and if they are, then Russia can too, we're already the largest country in Europe - even if those in western Europe still refuse to see us as a European power, that I'm devoted to changing - hopefully the devastation of Poland will send shockwaves across Europe and Asia, shockwaves telling everyone that Russia is here to stay.

"Everything we've built is only the beginning Yelizaveta, as The Ottomans, as The Ming, and as The Holy Roman Empire all crumble into nothingness, Russia will remain, Russia will still be expanding, our Cossacks will trample the steppe going east until Mongolia itself will fall under The Russian yoke, our victory will come soon enough Yelizaveta, one day Genghis Khan will be written in Cyrillic in his own homeland." I smiled, Yekaterinburg is our window to Siberia but we could conquer more than just Siberia, why not Central Asia as well? Why not bring Mongolia itself under our influence? Why not claw our way to the fringes of China? I can't guarantee a line of strong Tsars, but I can guarantee that Russia is nowhere near done growing, the Russian Principalities once stretched from Galicia to Perm, we don't need to limit ourselves like that, that's how Russia will be permanent, Russia will be too big to fail, too massive to conquer, and too strong to be partitioned by our neighbors, we will survive and we will survive at the expense of other civilizations if that is what must happen.

"Now that would surprise me," Yelizaveta laughed and shook her head.

"Don't laugh, you might be the one to do it." I countered, who knows how quickly we'll expand into Siberia, who knows exactly how big Siberia is? We know that there is an ocean somewhere beyond Siberia that divides us from The New World, but our explorers could find our Pacific coastline today or they could take another century to find it, that's what so exciting about being Tsarina, I don't know what comes next for Russia but I do know that I will be able to guide it, I don't know if our nation will succeed or fail at its goals, but I get to be the one to set those goals, and that excites me, it will excite Yelizaveta too one day, I know it will.

"What if I want to laugh?" Liz grinned, apparently having had enough of the serious conversation, I didn't mind, I'm happy to be silly with my sister, both of my sisters in fact, though Sofiya is back at Kolomenskoye - hopefully we won't see another unexpected wagon arriving soon, three people might be pushing it for this cot, besides, the unfortunate reality of me being off at war and Yelizaveta being here with me is that both of us _could_ die and that would mean that Sofiya would have to take up the reigns of The Tsardom, if we lost all three of us...then succession would be problematic, there are plenty of branches of The House Rurikovich, but we are the branch that created The Tsardom and we are the branch that shall rule it, it would be right if a no-name Prince of Beloozero took over, no, The Tsardom is for our branch, the other branches either aren't worthy of ruling over The Rus or are the descendants of the ones who lost control of Kiev to begin with - I am not reconquering Kiev just so a distant cousin can lose it again, no, we need our dominant branch of The House Rurikovich to survive, which is why I initially had both Yelizaveta and Sofiya remaining in Kolomenskoye, now I need Sofiya to stay put, our dynasty's future depends on it.

"Be careful what you wish for," I smirked before pushing Yelizaveta to the cot and tickling her, naturally she laughed, she laughed and laughed and I tickled and tickled until I realized the position we ended up in - I was straddling my own sister with my hands on her waist where they had been tickling her, Yelizaveta laughed a few more times before she too realized our position. My blue eyes locked with hers, neither of us seemed to know what we should do next, do I apologize? Do I go back to tickling her and forget all about this moment? Do I just get off of her and both of us ignore what just happened? I suppose that the third one seemed like the best option so I awkwardly got off of her, my pale cheeks brushing a ruby red as we awkwardly sat together, not want to address the elephant in the room, ultimately, I decided to do something to distract myself "I'm gonna change for bed."

"Yeah, me too," She decided and she went to the opposite side of the tent to undress and change into a nightgown, why we thought the solution of this was to get naked was beyond me but soon enough our torsos were covered up at very least with nightgowns, even if our legs and arms were now completely bare. Both of us seemed content to ignore this as I made sure the tent was shut and she laid down, not using the sheets quite yet, I didn't either as I laid down next to my sister, only two years younger than I was. There was a noticeable distance between us and the silence was almost dreadful, but I wasn't angry, I don't think that Yelizaveta was either, neither of us are hurt either, we're both just confused, both of us noticed something there and at least I felt something there that I shouldn't have, something that can only be described as sinful, I think Liz realized something too, but I didn't know if she felt that too or if she just realized that I felt that, either way, both of us are just laying here, hearts and minds in different places with both of us horribly confused. I wanted to be a good big sister and help Yelizaveta figure it out, but I couldn't even figure out myself and after what just happened, I'm not sure if I can even act big sisterly to her for a little while - again, I don't think Yelizaveta is mad at me, but I'm mad at myself, I turned a perfectly innocent conversation and an equally innocent tickling match into something unmentionable, I almost feel it would be better if I outright kissed her, at least then I could be certain of _something._ I wasn't very certain of anything right now...I needed to sleep, this is just something I don't want to deal with until the morning.

"Goodnight Yelizaveta." I turned around on the cot to face the wall of the tent and pulled the sheet over me, I was going to bed.

"Goodnight Anastasia." Liz replied, I felt her turn around as well, I felt her tug on the covers, and that was that, we were going to sleep. At least, that was the idea, the reality is that both of us spent a good hour tossing and turning, adjusting ourselves forward and back, facing toward each other and away from each other until, finally, both of us settled in a comfortable and warm position, at which point, sleep came easily, in fact, I fell into a deep sleep before I even realized exactly how we were positioned, as did Yelizaveta.

* * *

I woke up the next morning and realized why I felt so comfortable and warm, my face was mere inches from Yelizaveta, her arms were around me and my arms were around her, our torsos pressed together and our legs tangled up in one another. I gulped and tried to pull away only to get a groan of complaint from the still sleeping Liz as she tugged me back towards her - I reluctantly returned to my original position. This didn't mean anything, it must've just been a little cold last night and we cuddled together for warmth, that's all it was - perhaps we should've packed more sheets, this one does seem a little thin, and Liz does seem like she could still be cold. I lied to myself as I could feel the warmth of her body beneath my arms and I could feel the warmth of a continental summer outside of our tent, even now in the morning long after last night's fire burned away, but if lying to myself is what I need to do to get through this, then so be it, I have a war and a country to watch over, this is hardly the kind of drama I need in my life right now - I just found out my sexuality the same day I found out about Yelizaveta's sexuality, yet here we are, wrapped up in each other - we went to sleep on opposite sides of the cot and somehow, we ended up like this, both of us turned around and both of us having had put our arms around each other, that means it wasn't just me, it was Yelizaveta too and that scared me way more than if it was just me, because that meant that _something_ could actually come of this. Lesbianism was one thing, I accept that I'm attracted to women, but incest...that I can't accept, that society can't accept, that our poor mother can't accept.

My poor mother...she was a Georgian Princess but she was now known by the name she received in the Russian court, Tsaritsa Maria Davidovna. Unlike most political marriages, she actually loved my father, Tsar Aleksander I, and she has been quietly mourning in a secluded wing of Kolomenskoye ever since. I hope that my successes here in Byelorussia and Ruthenia against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will help my mother out of her mourning and seclusion and let her see that even if her husband is dead, she still has a family worthy of the Russian throne and that she has a role to play in our future, but this...this abomination between myself and Yelizaveta won't help anyone, especially not our mother. I had no idea what I should do here, I don't know who I can talk to about this - someone who I can trust, someone whose opinion of me won't be tarnished by this secret, and someone who is either unwilling to gain anything from me or has nothing to gain from abusing this secret - normally, I'd talk to Yelizaveta or Sofiya about this, but I can't talk about this to Yelizaveta because while I do doubt she's innocent in all of this, if I'm wrong, this whole friendship we've just built together would collapse and as for Sofiya, she's all the way in Kolomenskoye outside of Moscow whilst Liz and I are here outside of Minsk as the siege continues.

As if on cue, the war camp erupted with the sounds of our cannons firing onto Minsk from all sides for our morning volley - first we heard the sound of the cannons firing, them we heard the impact, so needless to say, the sound of explosive fury just outside woke Yelizaveta up and, with a groan not unlike the one she gave when I tried to escape her grasp. She let go of me, I let go of her, and she stretched her arms out, arching her back while she did it - I know I shouldn't have, but I admit that I enjoyed watching her do this - before she settled back down onto the pillow and finally opened her eyes. I wasn't sure what I was expecting her to do once she woke up, perhaps I expected her to scream, perhaps I expected her to be just as confused as I was, perhaps I expected her to play it off nonchalantly and allowed me to think that it was nothing, instead, her blue eyes locked with mine and she smiled, I completely failed at hiding my surprise and Yelizaveta made no effort to hide her confusion at my reaction.

"What's wrong Nastya? You look like you've seen a ghost." Liz pointed out, leaning up with her elbow on the cot, I sat up on it, looking out at my long pale longs and not daring to look a few inches to the left where I'd see hers.

"You smiled." I pointed out, my voice barely above a whisper "You smiled Liz."

"So what?" she asked, judging the silence outside following our cannon fire, the Polish and Lithuanian defenders of Minsk had decided not to respond to our morning barrage - evidently having had learned their lesson from yesterday - I wish I had the luxury of not responding to Yelizaveta's question, unfortunately, I loved my sister far too much to be rude to her and maybe, just maybe I could talk to Yelizaveta about this, at least a little bit, I didn't want to tell her everything, I didn't know if I could tell her everything even if I wanted to.

"The way we woke up is not the way we went to sleep." I pointed out, I think Yelizaveta knew that too, but I didn't think that she was going to bring it up, but I am willing to bring it up.

"Yes but we were asleep, neither of us intended for us to end up that close." Yelizaveta responded, now that I introduced the way we woke up to the conversation, Yelizaveta was speaking freely, no longer holding back - she knew exactly how close we were this morning. She didn't seem upset about it though, perhaps she can help me accept this as well.

"Doesn't that scare you even more? This wasn't a choice, this is something natural." I responded, finally turning away from my legs and looking her in the eyes, I'm the older sister, I'm supposed to be the strong one here, yet Yelizaveta is the one who helped me realize my homosexuality and she's the one who is helping me cope with this latest depraved realization.

"Why should it scare me? You don't scare me Nastya, you never scared me, just like I hope that I've never scared you, we're sisters Anastasia and I love you, whatever happened last night and whatever happened this morning isn't going to change that." Yelizaveta replied, I took a deep breath and pulled myself together a little bit, those were words that I needed to hear.

"Thank you Liz, I appreciate it, but - " I wanted to say something a little more logical and a little less emotional about the issue at hand, but I didn't get the chance to say anything because Yelizaveta interrupted me.

"But nothing Anastasia, there's more important things for us to worry about than whatever...this is." Liz countered, she gestured between us when saying this, neither of us knew exactly what to call this, but it definitely wasn't sisterly, though I don't think either of us wanted this relationship between us to be anything more than just that, a sisterhood, but it seems that regardless of our intentions, this relationship was other ideas and I fear that those ideas may be inevitable, but Yelizaveta had a point, we were at war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and while everything may be going well so far, the tide may turn and I need to be ready, always ready, to lead Russia through this war, granted, I had Mikhailovich and the other generals to help me, but help is all they were, I needed to be strong and I needed my Generals to be nothing more than Generals, if I wanted to be an absolutist ruler, than letting my Generals earn too much authority will only harm me in the long run, I couldn't give authority to anyone.

"You're right, I need to focus on this war, on Russia, and on our family, we can figure this thing out once we're safe back home in Kolomenskoye, now is no time to worry about anything." I told her, standing up from the cot "I'm going to get dressed."

So I got up and got dressed, putting on a simple knee length green gown and a set of knee high leather boots - I didn't need to wear any armor because this was a siege, only the second day of a siege no less, so I didn't have to worry about this turning into a battle, a relief force wouldn't arrive this soon, especially not considering how long it took the Poles and Lithuanians to even respond to our invasion of Byelorussia and how ill-prepared that response was to actually facing The Russian Imperial Army - so I was content to be dressed this way. I imagined that today would just be a boring day of whittling down the defenses of Minsk so I dressed in a simple and boring attire, not bothering to do anything with my blonde hair - though I rarely did, there was too much of it to tie it back and a battlefield was no place for some sort of elaborate hairstyle, I was content with the way it was. I was about to leave the tent when I turned to Yelizaveta who was sitting up on the cot at this point.

"I hope this doesn't change anything between us Liz, you're my sister and I love you, I want you at my side and I know we can achieve great things together. I...I think it would be a tragedy if whatever happened between us got in the way of this future, got in the way of our family." I spoke earnestly and hopefully, Yelizaveta agreed, I know what I felt last night when I got on top of her to tickle her, she knew what she felt, and we both know how we woke up today, but dealing with all that could wait, we'll end this war and we'll go from there. We'll go from there.

"It won't change a thing. I love you too Nastya." my little sister replied and I kissed her on the forehead before I left, just as our dad had always done.

I left the tent to find a bright and sunny Byelorussian day with busy Russians working around the city as the siege progressed. The walls of Minsk were battered and bruised after being hit by three cannon barrages but they were still holding, I imagine that the defenders were already building secondary fortifications beyond the walls, palisades in particular - palisades were sharp wooden stakes planted in the ground and the purpose of palisades nowadays was not to serve as barriers, but rather to be destroyed by cannon fire, meaning that assaulting forces would have to cross fields of shattered wooden spikes and splinters on their way towards enemy pikes and guns, it was a very gruesome affair and a fairly effective one, though ultimately, it only served to slow down besieging forces, a few beams of wood can't hold back an army like The Russian Imperial Army.

I wandered around our various camp sites and siege grounds, I saw soldiers in their camps waiting to be called up in the event of an assault or the arrival of a relief force, I saw our engineers maintaining our cannons and if necessary doing minor repairs, I watched as General Mikhailovich drilled a group of soldiers, everything seemed rather normal until I saw two engineers looking at a particularly derelict bit of wall and at the ground below, they were planning something. I listened in to their conversion and heard as they plotted to send a group of soldiers to dig a hole under the cover of darkness tonight and to leave a bomb just beneath the wall and to then blow up the bomb, with the ground beneath it blown up, the wall should cave in, giving our soldiers of way of getting inside and taking over the city, an interesting plot and the tactic of using bombing tunnels to topple walls has been used before and will be used again, but the trouble here is that this is probably the easiest of the three fortress we plan to deal with to take down, Kiev being harder and Warsaw definitely being much, much more defended than any place in Ruthenia or Byelorussia, so why waste a bomb here when it could be used at Kiev or Warsaw? I continued to wander around the siege works surrounding Minsk as I noticed a number of fires in the distance, enough for an army, but not nearly enough for an army rivalling us in size.

I sighed, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth again trying to take us on with a half-hearted relief force that again will be crushed as not only are their numbers inferior but their resources are inferior, for such a massive country with such potential, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth provides nothing but failure after failure. I knew that taking all of Byelorussia and Ruthenia, as well as the territory on The Black Sea was already a gigantic demand, but I wanted to eventually take control over more of the country, once this war ends far sooner than anyone expected, countries such as Austria and Sweden may seek to divide the rest of Poland into their own territories, I had to do something to take a huge amount of land from my western enemy yet preventing anyone else from doing the same. This may prove to be an immense diplomatic challenge, but in addition to conquering the land I want and can take now, I better find a way to bring all of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into my sphere of influence, to put Poland under my protection, though to devastate them in a war and then offer them protection? It won't be an easy sell and I'll need some master diplomats to accomplish it, but I need master diplomats who know their place in relation to my royal power, that is the real challenge. I was already worrying about the peace and the war isn't anywhere near being over, that is the pathetic state of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, oh well, I should inform Mikhailovich about the approaching enemy forces.

* * *

The next day the Poles and the Lithuanians attacked us, trying to trap us between Minsk and them, perhaps they were hoping we'd be stuck between a rock and a hard place, perhaps they were hoping that we hadn't noticed their camp fires, perhaps they hoped that the defenders of Minsk would be willing to provide cannon support - but we kept most of our cannons trained on the tops of the ramparts during the battle, we would once again fire upon their artillery if they so much as tried to get involved, therefore, the relief force did nothing to stop The Siege of Minsk, the relief force was overwhelmed just as we had predicted and by noon they were forced to retreat, crippled and decimated. The afternoon, just prior to our planned bombardment, we saw the defenders wave a white flag. They knew that Minsk's walls were on the last legs and that they weren't going to get a second relief force after the first one had failed so epically - the soldiers didn't want to starve or get slaughtered for a government that had failed them so completely here at The Siege of Minsk.

We moved farther south and then west as we continued our efforts to isolate Kiev, we were practically unopposed as we captured first Pinsk, then Pripyat before changing course and occupying Brest. at each and every city, especially at Minsk, we left a group of soldiers to protect the city and prevent a local uprising from reoccupying the area, at this point, we were less than worried about the Poles and the Lithuanians after their recent failures, but just as our army was about to leave Brest, we received news that the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuanian himself was coming with an army far larger than the pathetic forces we encountered at The Battle of Borisov and at The Siege of Minsk, our capture of Minsk at the same time as Generals Perevernykruchenko and Feodorov captured The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's only port on The Black Sea in the form of Ochakiv meant that King Sigismund Augustus II Wasa - a distant relative of King Adolf I Vasa of Sweden through a Catholic branch of the family that had gained local power in Poland - could finally strong arm The Sejm into giving him the troops that he needed, once again, a strong nobility and parliamentary government hold The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth back, The Tsardom of Russia will have no such restriction. Our army fortified ourselves within the outskirts of Brest, we had infantry, we had cavalry, and we had our cannons, we were going to win this battle, we were going to crush the Poles and the Lithuanians, and we were going to win this war.

Wasa and his forces arrived, Polish cannons fired upon us, blowing up houses near us, blowing up our men, and spooking our horses, but the men that lived got right back up and our skilled horseman calmed down their horses as our cannons returned fire, shredding the advancing Polish army, but they weren't going to crumble that easily, they kept advancing, their cannons kept rolling towards us, and I would hear the thunderous roar of winged hussars approaching us from all sides, we had a fight on our hands now.

"Are you worried?" I asked General Mikhailovich, the general actually laughed, I knew that we have beaten these Poles and Lithuanians a number of times already and that we had made a lot of progress, but we couldn't get arrogant, we were still far from winning this war - though, King Sigismund II Augustus was here and if we could capture him, we would agree to our terms, he'd have no choice, the treaty would still need to be ratified by The Sejm but if we brought a few cannons to Warsaw despite the piece we could be quite influential towards this pesky so-called democratic process. I understand that The Polish-Lithuanian nobles have far more rights and far more say that any other Kingdom in Europe, but there were Republics in Europe - mainly in Italy and in The Holy Roman Empire - and ultimately The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth only gave the rights of The Sejm to the nobles so it's hardly democratic at all let alone the most democratic country in Europe, it's a bureaucratic mess and a vestigial civilization that will be dismembered by The Tsardom of Russia and its western neighbors - sure I could try and protect The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and I'll have to do that to maintain control over Polish territory, but I will have to give some of that territory to the European powers so as to keep them from interfering with Russian influence over our western neighbor, I'll have to use Polish territory as a bribe, now that is a true humiliation. I was born during a Polish and Lithuanian Siege of Moscow, now, as an adult and as the Tsarina, I was finally going to bring vengeance upon our enemy, retaking all of Ruthenia and all of Byelorussia, and taking all of Zaporizhia on The Black Sea coast, and all of that would culminate in a Russian Siege of Warsaw. Though this time the siege will be successful, this time it will be a momentous shift in power for the Slavic world and for Europe as a whole, a befitting beginning for the reign of The Princess of The Resurrection, now a mighty Tsarina.

"Not at all, once we lure them into the streets of Brest it will be a blood bath no matter how many men the brought, just watch and wait my Tsarina." General Mikhailovich promised as winged hussars clashed against our flanks, trying to push them back and succeeding, but our men let the winged hussars push them back, because our men knew that horses were a lot less useful inside of a city than on the wide open plains outside. Once the winged hussars had to contend with narrow streets surrounded by houses, it was a blood bath, pikes stabbed into their horses, shooters blasted them through windows, forcing molten ball and shattered glass into the riders themselves, the winged hussars realized the trap and soon retreated from the city streets and enjoyed the battle of the center flank that had developed nicely in front of the town.

Our pike and shot formations clashed with their ones, but our superior tactics gave us an advantage, the Poles favored the pike over the shot so they needed to fight up close, our men could fight at a greater distance, therefore, by the time the pikemen were in a range where their weapons were optimal, the Poles and the Lithuanians had taken heavy enough losses that we had pretty much the same number of pikemen in battle and our other lines of combat were not afraid to fire point blank, therefore, we had the upper hand until the winged hussars and other Polish cavalrymen entered the fray. The men who had been fighting on our flanks in the city rushed to form pike and shot squares and rejoin the battle, but it wouldn't be infantry that won this battle. I watched as General Mikhailovich raised a red banner high into the air with his right arm before sharply bringing his arm back down, it was a signal. The ground near Brest shook with the sound of two massive cavalry charges as half our Cossacks and cavalry came charging from the southeast and half came charging from the northeast. Our cavalry and our infantry formed a triangle surrounded the Poles and the Lithuanians. There would be no escape today. I grimaced and looked away as the battle turned into a complete and utter bloodbath, none would survive, not even King Sigismund Augustus II, a King who would rather die with his men than be used as a hostage by our forces, I would've applauded him had be not been on the enemy side. The Battle of Brest had once again been a Russian victory, but it wasn't as easy this time, we took real losses and we had to bury quite a few corpses, we had to abandon a few cannons which were damaged beyond repair, and we lost Sigismund Augustus when we could've used him as a hostage, his capture could've ended this war and prevented further bloodshed, but now? The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will just elect a new King and we'll have to keep fighting as if nothing had changed.

* * *

Yelizaveta and I boarded a carriage after walking alongside the marching soldiers for quite some time as we made the trek from Brest at the western edge of Byelorussia to Kiev in northern central Ruthenia - to see the Tsarina and the Tsarevna marching alongside the soldiers was a morale boost, after all, if we could do it, the soldiers could definitely do it, but we weren't professional soldiers and we did need to take a break long before the soldiers. I am thin and light, as is Liz, but neither of us are athletic, we can't do everything that our soldiers can do, so we needed a bit of a break. The two of us settled into the moderately comfortable bench seats of the carriage and got the chance to relax. We sat in silence for a little while but both of us knew that we'd have to talk about something eventually, though neither of us would talk about what happened in Minsk. I know that I should feel bad about what happened between myself and Liz, but the weird thing is that I don't feel bad, it felt really good, sinfully good, and that scares me far more than if I felt bad, because the fact that I felt good and the fact that Yelizaveta seems to have felt similarly about it means that something can actually come of this...that is unacceptable. Nothing could come of this, it wasn't right and no one would ever accept this, but I didn't know how I could solve this - perhaps I could find someone to fall in love with and Yelizaveta could find someone else, that way we'd both be in love, we'd both be happy, and we could forget all about it. That sounds good, that could keep the two of us busy while these feelings between us, whatever they may be, melt away and fade into obscurity.

"It almost feels bad that we're here on a war, I'd like to visit these little towns and cities in peacetime." Yelizaveta admitted as she looked out on the beautiful endless plains of Byelorussia with occasional forests in the distance, it was certainly a quaint region and I'm glad that we seem to be on track to bring Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia back under Russian control. I wasn't sure where I was going to reign from whilst my plans for rebuilding Moscow and my new palace - I figured I would stay at Kolomenskoye and The Kremlin will probably be fine as well as I don't want to wreck Red Square, I want to build a whole new part of the city, a planned part of the city that would put old Moscow to shame. I could reign from somewhere other than Moscow in the meantime, perhaps Kiev, that would send a strong message to the Muscovite nobility and it would reduce their influence, after all, the nobles have deliberately spent centuries centering themselves around Moscow and worming their way into Red Square, but if I moved the court elsewhere, even for awhile, it would send the nobility into disarray. Some nobles would make the move in an effort to keep or even increase their influence, others would stay put and pressure me to return to Moscow, some would move to whole new places and try to persuade me to move their, moving to their sphere of influence, and then, I will create all that chaos all over again when I move back to Moscow once my new palace and its new district surrounding it are complete. Perhaps I would rotate the capital for a little while just to dilute the nobility, perhaps I'll move from Moscow to Novgorod to Minsk to Kiev to Tsaritsyn to Astrakhan to Kazan to Nizhny Novgorod, that would make the weak nobility even weaker as they abandon their power bases once, perhaps twice, perhaps many times as they desperately attempt to stay in what they think is my inner circle. Not everything needed to be about concentrating royal power however, perhaps my family and I could just spend a month or two in a nice place far away from the royal bustle of Moscow, but not for awhile, I had to finish this war, I had to put my plans for Moscow into motion, and Liz and I would need to deal with the Minsk incident. I had my ideas as to how we could end this, but Yelizaveta probably had her own ideas and she was just as much a part of this as I was, so we'd talk about it, we'd trade ideas, and we'd figure out whatever we need to do, but one thing is clear, this needs to end before it can begin.

"There's more than just these Polish-Lithuanian territories that we can explore, Russia stretches from The Caspian Sea to The White Sea, there's so much to explore and so much to do - I hope we'll get a chance to do somethings together after this war, not just you and I, but us and Sophie and mom, we'll finally do things as a family for the first time since dad died." I told Liz, in between moving capitals or architectural plans or whatever exactly we ended up doing after this war, I definitely wanted to spend at least a little bit of time with my family, perhaps some sort of vacation - Kolomenskoye is supposed to be a retreat for us, but it's clear that it doesn't really work that way, it's close enough to Moscow that the Muscovite nobility has no qualms about making their way to our private home and pestering us there, just as General Perevernykruchenko and his noble friends did as the catalyst for beginning this war.

"I'd like that too." Yelizaveta smiled and we locked eyes, but this time it wasn't weird, there wasn't the animalistic perversion that was there in our eyes in Minsk, now it was just wholesome sisterly love, we could make this work. Yelizaveta was right as I left the tent that morning, this wasn't going to change our friendship, this wasn't going to change our sisterhood. This was going to work after all. We'd still have to talk quite a bit about the situation between the two of us and we'd still have to figure out what exactly our feelings are so that we could smother out those feelings once and for all, but for now, I was relieved. I could focus on the war now and I could sleep well until this war was over, then we could talk this out.

"Good, good." I smiled in return, a genuine smile, we fell into a peaceful silence once again, but it was nicer this time, much less awkward and much more serene, though eventually, boredom set in and I decided I was finally going to ask a question that's been brewing within me for quite awhile, a question I've had since the day that Yelizaveta told me about her sexuality and I realized my own, that lifechanging day, but also the day that's responsible for the chilling realization that Yelizaveta and I may be attracted to each other, that chilling realization that happened in Minsk, codified by the way we woke up, it was finally time to ask about the root cause of all the romantic and sexual drama that has occurred in these last few critical weeks "So you found out you were lesbian by kissing a servant girl, but where did you get the book anyway? The one about Yekaterina and Tatiana."

"Oh the book, well it was written by a woman in Tsaritsyn, evidently one who either owned a printing press or had access to one anyway, I think she writes more legitimate stories as well, but she always goes back to Tatiana and Yekaterina. My understanding is that she has written a number of different volumes of these books and distributed them discretely, as for my copy, it's a copy of the original book. The day that the servant girl I kissed had to leave Moscow, she left this book in the spot where we shared our kiss, it was a parting gift. I couldn't tell you where she got it or how you could get another one, for all I know, the author has been found and forced to stop, she could be arrested or dead for all I know." Yelizaveta explained, it made sense, she wasn't going to find this sort of book in a bookstore even if she could get to one without the supervision of anyone from the palace and it certainly wasn't going to be in our collections at either The Kremlin or at Kolomenskoye, but a servant girl could get out of the palace far more freely than any royal, though the book certainly looked nice and it was well printed, so I hated to know how a servant girl would pay for something like that, especially as a gift to someone with infinitely more resources. That's the curse of being royalty, I in theory have the resources of all of Russia at my disposal and I can and will use them, but whenever I use those resources, I will face questions from the nobility and from the bureaucracy - the expansion of Moscow and the build-up of southern and eastern Russia I could justify as it secured our borders and opened the way for further expansion, as well as providing a lot of work for a lot of people between the construction and maintenance of all these new cities and parts of cities, as well as the merchants, artisans, and skilled workers who settled cities, but spending money on something like improving the lives of the servants and Serfs? That was seen as unnecessary and the nobles and bureaucrats would oppose any sort of progress there.

"What a shame...it's a beautiful book." I admitted, I have only seen the little bit that Yelizaveta and I read together, but that alone had me hooked, I still have vivid imaginations of what Yekaterina and Tatiana did to each other, though I haven't been able to act on them like I did at that first night, I certainly wasn't going to do anything that personal while sharing a cot with my own little sister, even if my body isn't necessarily opposed to that, my mind certainly is fervently opposed to it, especially since I fear my thoughts may stray from the book...

"Yes, when we're back in Kolomenskoye, we should read some more." Yelizaveta agreed, which thankfully kept my thoughts from going down a dark path, I was glad that this hasn't changed things between us, but it has definitely changed me and it has definitely changed her, we both know what our bodies want but we both know that it is forbidden, we both know that it absolutely cannot happen.

"I'd like that," I smiled, again a genuine smile and again a sisterly one, even if what we were going to read is far from wholesome - I could see myself attracted to someone like Yekaterina or Tatiana, so all I needed to do was to find a real life version of them, one for me and one for Yelizaveta, then we could move on, we could be normal, of course we'd be lesbians and there will be a stigma against that, but by our standards, we'll be normal and that's good enough for me, so long as we don't cross that forbidden line.

"Good, good," Yelizaveta smiled in return, she was looking forward to it as well, there was plenty for us to do once we were back home, but there was plenty more for us to do now as our marching army and caravan approached Kiev, the city of Rurik and, according to some, a city very close to the original homeland of The Slavic people before migration spread us all the way from The Ural Mountains in the east to Pomerania in the west. Kiev was a crucial city and it would be part of The Tsardom of Russia soon enough, it had to be, Russia cannot achieve greatness until we control the lands of The Kievan Rus, that is the core of our national identity and it will be the beginning of our western expansion. The conquest of Ruthenia and Byelorussia will open the way for expansion into Galicia, into Poland, into Lithuania, and beyond, while Zaporizhia would give us access to The Black Sea and a port from which we could build a Black Sea fleet - we would feet a fleet to challenge The Ottomans - with a fleet and with borders on all sides of Ottoman Crimea, once we declare war on our Islamic enemy, we can surround Crimea and occupy it before turning our attention south to The Caucasus where our armies will join Georgian forces in the struggle for eastern Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Persian territories that Sultan Suleiman III captured before his death, territories that will soon be absorbed into mother Russia, as will Georgia itself, whether by annexation or through the fact that my mother and I are both potential heiresses to The Kingdom of Georgia. My ambitions were endless and this war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was only the beginning. The Siege of Kiev was inevitable, we would be joined by General Perevernykruchenko, General Feodorov, and the local Cossacks as well as The Army of The Ukraine under the command of the two generals, from there, once Kiev has fallen, we shall march to Poland itself, we shall lay siege to Warsaw, and we shall win.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been Romans chapter four and the end of our Invasion of Ruthenia two party, this has been the longest chapter of Romans thus far and my second longest chapter ever, so I hope you enjoyed! Chapter five will see us check in with Helena of Gothia in Konstantiniyye and chapter six will return to Anastasia for The Siege of Kiev.

I love you all, peace out!


	5. The Cosmopolitan Empire

Ciao tutti! Here we are for chapter five of Legacy of The Romans, we return to Konstantiniyye and Sultana Helena of The Ottomans as she attempts to solidify her position as regent to her young son Abdullah Timur. I hope you're happy about this double upload because, while I know that this story is far from perfect, this is the story that I want to write and I do hope that you enjoy it, anyway, with that being said, here we go with the fifth chapter of Romans. And yes, I know there's probably an overrepresentation of royal lesbians, but who knows what real Queens have done when the chroniclers weren't looking?

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter V.

The Cosmopolitan Empire.

* * *

I had just handed Abdullah Timur over to Xanthippi so that she could take care of him for the day, as she always does, when I saw Olga entering this wing of Topkapi Palace, dressed up in her Janissary armor under the façade of Captain Draganov, when in reality, she wasn't a converted slave, she was living freely out there in Konstantiniyye, living freely with a lover no less, a luxury that no other Janissary could afford. Olga was a smart woman, she used her athleticism and combat instincts as a Janissary, a very successful one to already be a Captain at such a young age, but she also used her beauty and her gender to disguise herself as an ordinary woman of the city, no one would expect her of being a Janissary, not even I did. I went too far when I realized her secret, Olga didn't disguise herself as a man to fool me, she did it to forge a better life for herself and for her partner, yet I acted as if my stupid scheme to have The Grand Vizier murdered was all an elaborate scheme to get my in trouble when, one: Olga is guilty of killing Ibrahim Pasha regardless of my involvement, two, her lying about her gender was entirely inconsequential to the assassination, and three, Ibrahim was already dead regardless. I was going to apologize to Olga and then I was going to go to take the throne here at Topkapi Palace, thee throne which has been empty ever since my husband died, Abdullah Timur was officially Sultan, but everyone knew that he wasn't able to rule as a child, he needed a regent, and I was going to be that regent. I knew that The Ottomans would never let me hold as much power as Suleiman III had or as Abdullah Timur will have, but I will make sure that I have enough power to keep the Empire in line and to expand it, expand it for my son.

The Ottoman Empire was already quite great however, we controlled the entirety of the North African coast of Africa, stretching from Egypt to Algiers, we controlled Jerusalem and The Holy Land, we reigned over all of Anatolia, both western and eastern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Mesopotamia, and much of Arabia, including the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Baghdad, and Cairo, we ruled over the five most important cities in Islam, but we added a sixth to the list, a city to trump them all: Konstantiniyye, the third Rome. From Konstantiniyye, we expanded our reach other Europe - we conquered the Greeks, we conquered Bulgaria, we subjugated Wallachia, we conquered the Serbs, the Albanians, and the Bosnians, we have waged war against the Austrians and the Hungarians, stretching our borders into Croatia and to The Danube. We expelled the Venetians from the eastern Mediterranean and we have fought against numerous so-called Holy Leagues, now, as Christians fight amongst themselves in Germany, we can expand once again, we could expand deeper into Hungary - Hungary proper, Slovakia, and Transylvania could all belong to us soon enough. Opportunity is everywhere, especially since the Europeans don't see me as a threat, I bet they're already planning on partitioning my Empire, let them plan, they may claim to fight for religion or for glory, but in reality, all they're fighting for is land, I'm fighting for my son. I wasn't ripped from my home and forced into a loveless marriage only to see the single product of that marriage left with a vestigial Empire, no, he would be left with The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power, no amount of political nonsense, European intervention, or internal revolt was going to stop me. I know that this isn't the job for me, I know that I'll need a ton of help in order to accomplish my goals, and I know that I'll face all sorts of opposition, whether it be from Austria, from Venice, or from The Pope himself, but I've had my chance to run away and I stayed here, I stayed here because I'm going to be The Sultana-Regent of The Ottoman Empire , one way or another.

Fortunately, I seem to have gotten a lot of luck on my side, the Russians have opted to attack The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth rather than us, this gave me time, time I needed, because right now, there's no way I could bring together The Ottomans enough to wage a war against The Tsardom of Russia, especially considering that our Crimean province is isolated from the rest of the Empire and we've only just conquered our new Caucasian territory while Russia has controlled Dagestan for decades now and our allied with the ancient regional power of Georgia, a fight against Russia now would be a fight that we simply couldn't win, but given the chance to confirm my authority and strengthen The Ottoman Empire, then we can have a proper fight. I wasn't sure what exactly our enemies thought, clearly they saw this regency as a weakness, but so many centuries of strength from The Ottomans mean that none of our enemies want to be the first one to be proven wrong, therefore, Europe is in limbo, The Holy Roman Empire is too preoccupied with internal conflict to worry about me, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Tsardom of Russia are at war with each other, therefore, none of the three biggest threats to Ottoman expansion are able to intervene, which is good, I'll be able to bring the Empire back together before getting into a real war and, in terms of the Poles and the Russians, I'll be able to prey on whoever loses, turning three threats into two, though I had to be careful, I couldn't leave my son with a coalition of European powers intent on destroying our entire civilization, wiping The Ottomans off the face of the earth, it was a delicate balance.

"Captain Draganov," I greeted the Bulgarian girl who disguised herself as a Janissary, I was intent on apologizing to her for my behavior following the assassination, I went way too far "May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course, my Sultana." Olga said, pensively, she clearly expected a repeat of the last conversation we had, but I was determined to surprise her. I purposefully walked through Topkapi Palace with Captain Draganov reluctantly following, soon enough, I found an empty room that was likely to stay empty. We finally had a place where we could talk, excellent. I wouldn't have an issue with apologizing in a more public place, though there wasn't a way that I could apologize to Olga and adjust our relationship without discussing Olga's gender, therefore, this had to be a private conversation.

"I'm sorry," I bluntly replied.

"You're sorry?" Olga asked, skeptically, I seemed to have smashed the trust we had developed whilst plotting the murder of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, but I was going to try and rebuild it now, sincerely, though after what I did last time, I sense that Captain Draganov may not want to rebuild a relationship with me, and if that's the case, so be it, a personal Janissary could be useful but it wasn't worth the cost in humanity if she doesn't want to be that for me, I understand, she has a life apart from being a Janissary and I have bigger things to worry about than just the Janissaries, such as external threats, expansion, the Levantine assassination which killed my husband, and raising my son.

"Yes, I should've have been so angry once I found out you weren't who I thought you were, I went too far and I became unnecessarily demanding of you, that's not the way to accomplish anything. I understand that I have been horribly cruel and I understand that you probably won't forgive me, you probably shouldn't forgive me, but I am here to apologize and to tell you that I no longer expect anything from you. I told you that you would be my personal spy within the Janissary corps, I no longer expect this from you, I simply want to maintain a friendly relationship." I spoke softly and tried to keep my position out of the conversation - I knew that I couldn't do it completely, I couldn't change the fact that I was the Sultana-regent and that she was merely a girl from a conquered territory who represents an organization of enslaved boys forced to serve the Sultan from childhood. No matter what our relationship was affected by the fact that I - despite the fact that I was born Greek and Orthodox - am at the helm of a Turkish and Sunni Islamic Empire and she is from Bulgaria, a Slavic and Orthodox province that is taxed for its faith and is forced to provide soldiers and slaves for expanding the Empire. Now, The Ottoman Empire is not forcefully converting people which Austria is with Protestants within its realm and Russia is doing with its large Islamic and pagan populations in central Asia and in Siberia, however, The Ottomans are still a foreign power ruling over numerous different populations, some Christian, some Islamic, though Islamic Arabs and Islamic Turks are hardly the same type of people, so there is clearly an ethnic and religious power dynamic. No matter what I do or my son and descendants do, people like Serbs, Bulgarians, Greeks, Armenians, and Arabs will not feel perfectly at home within this Empire dominated by a Persian-influenced Turkish ruling class following Sunni Islam. The power dynamic between myself, a Turk in role even if not in actuality, and Olga, a Bulgarian, is present, no matter what we do.

"I appreciate the thought, my Sultana, but if you were enraged at me last time and tried to force me into submission, regardless of your apology this time, how can I be sure that you won't change your mind again? If you've changed your mind already, how can I trust you at all?" Olga raised a valid point, I certainly was being rather spineless with my rapid change in mind, from her perspective anyway, she had no way of knowing that I witnessed her crying alongside of her lover, nor was I going to tell her that - the fact that I ended up stalking her out of boredom would certainly not help my argument at all - though the fact that I've seen it will affect my behavior, I will be better to her, even if she refuses to accept that I've changed. I wasn't going to be spineless however, my purpose in the world was to expand The Ottoman Empire on behalf of my son and having a friend, if not an outright spy, within The Janissaries will help me, though at this point I'll settle for getting at very least a form of nominal forgiveness from her.

"I promise you that I'm trying to be better, I've had an eye-opening trip to The Hagia Sophia since our last meeting, that trip was tempered my anger and brought some clarity to my reign - I know these next few words will probably ring hollow to you, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to being Sultana, I wasn't ever supposed to be within The Ottoman Empire let alone in charge of it." I replied, I let Olga know about my visit to The Hagia Sophia but I didn't tell her about the rest of the things that I did whilst outside of the walls of Topkapi Palace. I was a bit harsh with my second point but I wasn't exactly in the best place right now, I was a twenty-one year old mother and I was born in an independent Principality which is now a single province of a much larger Empire that I should've had nothing to do with, I was born an Orthodox Christian but I've had to convert to Sunni Islam when I was married, I went from a religion whose followers are now treated as second class citizens within my Empire to a religion which is now the religion of the oppressive class that is treating the followers of my former religion as second class citizens. Who I am now is the right person for this Empire but I cannot forget about the person who I was, the person who would be a second class citizen of The Ottoman Empire had I not been able to flee to Genoa with my family.

I wanted the best for my son, my Turkish Sunni son, my Sultan, my Caliph, mu Kayser-I Rum, but that meant I would have to go against the values and the morals I was raised with, the Greeks who occupy much of our conquered territories throughout The Aegean Sea are more similar to me than the Turks who rule over The Ottoman Empire, arguably The Ottomans are my oppressors just as much as they are Olga's oppressors, however, the fact that my royal bloodline and Byzantine heritage, as well as my attractiveness, were enough to get me married to the Sultan, which due to his untimely death, has put me in charge of the Empire, I'm not much more attractive than Olga is when she's out of her Janissary garb and I can't choose my own heritage, nor did I choose to be married to the Sultan, in fact, I didn't enjoy that marriage, I didn't enjoy the sex, and I didn't enjoy giving birth. I'm happy to have my son, Abdullah Timur, heir to The Ottoman Empire, but if my life went slightly differently, he wouldn't exist, perhaps I would be happier then, perhaps my life would be better then, therefore, I am not Olga's enemy, in fact, I'm just as much of a victim of The Ottomans as she is, if not more so, I simply happened to have been lucky - or perhaps unlucky enough - to end up in control of The Ottoman Empire which had made me a victim.

"Lifechanging trip or not, I find it difficult to believe your opinion, which has changed so quickly, will now stay the same." Olga retorted, coldly, brushing off my attempt to apologize, she then replied to my point about adjusting to my new role quite harshly, though once again, I saw that she had a point, even if it did hurt to hear it "And yeah, I'm sure its difficult being you, but do you know how difficult it is to be me? If my parents hadn't lied about my gender, I'd have been another child sex slave in the harem, so when you threatened me with my secret, you've threatened my entire life - I have a life outside of Topkapi Palace you know, I have friends and loved ones, people who depend on me, I was in tears when you threatened my livelihood, because you threatened more than just me, you threatened everyone I've ever known in Konstantiniyye."

Olga wasn't going to reveal to me what she meant by loved ones and I wasn't going to reveal that I knew exactly what she was talking about, I had followed her from the bazaar to her apartment, I knew that she had a lover who was depending on her, and that is a big part of why I'm making the apology, though once again, I had to work around the fact that Olga didn't know that I knew and I didn't dare tell her because if I did, then I know that this friendship, this relationship that had lead to the assassination of The Grand Vizier, an assassination that we seemed to have gotten away with, may be irreparably damaged, because I admit that following her was weird and wrong, my intentions were benign rather than malicious, but it was something that I shouldn't have done and now it's something that I don't dare admit to Olga or to anyone else.

"My opinion is what is has been all along, I want a friendship, a partnership if nothing else, for things to go back to the way that they were prior to the assassination, my outburst when I found out your real gender was a complete overreaction and horribly misaimed stress." I answered, serious about my opinions, I regret what I did and if I could turn back time to prevent it, I would, but I'm unfortunate enough to life in reality, which means that I can't prevent what I've already done, I can only work to atone for it, regardless of how hard atonement is turning out to be. I can't blame Olga for being mistrusting of me now but I wish that she would just realize that I've made a mistake so that we could move-on and forge a new relationship from the ashes of our old friendship, a fresh start for both of us, for myself, Helena of Gothia, Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire and Olga Draganova, the female Janissary. It was an odd pairing, I admit, but one day Olga could represent the Janissaries for me official as a member of my inner circle, one of the people who would become part of a regency council to rule over The Ottoman Empire if I were to do before Abdullah-Timur reaches adulthood.

"Look, I appreciate it that you're not going to be blackmailing me anymore and I'm sure that you've learned some sort of lesson, but right now, I'm not sure if I want to be friends with you." Olga admitted, I sighed, my apology didn't work but it's because Olga is right, I shouldn't be forgiven for this, not this easily anyway, I had overreacted dramatically and I had thrown her life in disarray for far too long - any amount of time was too long, I threatened her livelihood because Olga didn't see me for who I thought I was, she saw me for the head of The Ottoman Empire that I was, I had the power and I represented the persecuting civilization, she represented the persecuted populations, therefore, the fact that I've already used my power over her to berate her and force her to become my spy shows her that I'm no less willing to abuse my power than anyone else, as far as she's concerned, I'm no different than my husband, than his ancestors, than the very Ottoman Sultans who conquered her homeland. I've become little more than a personification of Ottoman power and persecution in Olga's eyes, now I would have to do far more than just apologize, I'd have to work hard to subvert Olga's expectations in order to achieve forgiveness, but whilst being subversive of her expectations, I did need to increase the size of The Ottoman Empire and that would inevitably bring more minority populations into the Empire and thus I would have more persecuted populations, I wanted to be liked by the minority populations but I couldn't afford to be different than the previous leaders of The Ottoman Empire because I wanted to give a stronger Empire for my son, once again, I had a delicate balance to maintain. This was difficult, I wanted to be loved, but I fear that I may end up being hated by most of the Empire, which is not ideal, because just like I didn't want foreign powers to gang up on my son once he reaches maturity, I didn't want internal revolts to tear my son's Empire apart, but ultimately, conquered populations are conquered populations and dominant populations are dominant, one will always be happier about the idea of Empire than the other, for me, the adoptive Turk, The Ottoman Empire is good, but for the vast majority of people within the Empire, its bad, that's the paradox of Empire.

"My Regent," I turned to see a Turkish member of the palace staff calling out for me from the door way, I nodded so as to give him permission to speak, I gave a quick glance at Captain Draganov when the Turk mentioned the Grand Vizier, but neither of us said a word, this was going to remain a secret, both of our careers depended on it "Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha is dead, we've already made arrangements for candidates to arrive here at Topkapi Palace - I assume that you will want to chose your Grand Vizier?"

"Yes, I do. Thank you soldier, I intend to welcome the candidates in the throne room. I intend to be kept informed of the situation, understood?" I adopted the role of Sultana of The Ottoman Empire and assumed authority over this Turkish Empire, it was what I had to do for my son, even if Olga or many, many more of my subjects may not want this, I want to improve their lives, I do, but my son is all there is left of my life, if I could only please either my subjects or my son, I would rather please my son, is it selfish? Yes, is that going to stop me? No.

"Understood, my Regent." the Turk bowed and left the room, after a moment, I turned to face Olga, but she simply brushed past me, returning to her Janissary duties as Captain Draganov, I haven't managed to resolve anything and I've lost any potential of having an ally within The Janissary corps, perhaps the better thing for my son would've been to be pragmatic and to have kept our arrangement, but I'm not going to use my son as an excuse to abuse people like Olga, that would just confirm her suspicions of me, everything I intend to do as Sultana of The Ottomans if for my son, but making up for my actions isn't about being Sultana, it's about being a person, something that I've utterly failed at today, but so be it, I will try again. Olga will know that my apology is sincere, but first, I had to sink to the depths of Ottoman politics. I had to choose a Grand Vizier, hopefully this time it won't be someone who I'd have to assassinate - my husband really did have an awful taste in people, Ibrahim Pasha was a power hungry fool who attempted to seize the regency for me, yet I am flesh and blood of Abdullah Timur, I'm his mother, political experience or not, surely I'm the one who has my son's best interests in heart, not a conservative Anatolian without an ounce of royal blood, Ibrahim was not worthy of the power of being regent of The Ottoman Empire, I'm probably not worthy either, yet here I am, regent of The Ottoman Empire, I was at the helm of the true successor of Rome and of Byzantium.

* * *

I wore an elaborate black dress with gold, green, red, white, and silver patterns all throughout, my hair was styled into a number of braids and held by golden clips, around my neck I wore a long golden chain bejeweled with gems and rubies arranged to form stars and crescents, and at the end of that chain was a pendant of The Hagia Sophia, complete with miniature minarets. This was extremely over down and quite gaudy, but this conveyed the vast wealth of The Ottoman Empire and this is the excessive luxury which with Konstantiniyye welcomed its guests. I walked along an intrinsically detailed red, gold, and purple rug and up the steps to the vacant throne of The Ottoman Empire, all the while, guests from every province and every city stood silently, showing reverence to their new ruler. I sat down in the throne and, behind me, an elaborate procession of guards and handmaidens wheeled in a lavish crib, within that crib sat my son, Abdullah Timur who - rather than his usual blankets - was wrapped in a red and gold Byzantine flag depicting the double-headed eagle of The House Palaiologos, this was intentional, my son was descended from Palaiologos Princesses and he was Kayser-I Rum, the flag of The Byzantine Empire was just another of the many, many symbols that my son is entitled to use, whether its the simple red flag with a white star and crescent that is used to represent the Empire as a whole, or the flags of Egypt, Tunis, Algiers, Mecca, Medina, Baghdad, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, all of this is his, a wonderful beginning, but only just a beginning, he will rule over far more, that I will make sure of, even if it kills me, after all, at this point I live for his prosperity.

"Ottomans!" I began the ceremony as I grabbed Abdullah Timur from his crib, presenting him to the crowd "This is Abdullah Timur! Padishah, Caliph, Kayser-I Rum, Sultan of The Ottomans, Sultan of Egypt, Sultan of Tunis, holy ruler of Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, Baghdad, Cairo, and Konstantiniyye, the six golden cities of The Islamic world, Sovereign of the Levant, of the Maghreb, of Anatolia, of Crimea, of Armenia, of Azerbaijan, King of Greece, of Bulgaria, of Serbia, of Bosnia, of Croatia, Autocrat of all of the Danube, Ruler of all Turks, Ruler of all Arabs, Ruler of all Balkans, Liege of Africa, Imperator, Lord of all that is secular and all that is religious, Master of the Mediterranean Sea, Lawgiver of the world, Justiciar of Heaven and Earth, King of Kings, Protector of the legacy of Rome, Vanquisher of false claimants, and Lord of the land, the sea, the air, and all that is touched by the light of Allah. May he guide the world as Allah guided Muhammad, blessings being upon him. May all of you bow to the infinite power of Abdullah Timur and may all of you beg for his infinite mercy."

I watched as they bowed, a child or not, Abdullah Timur was their secular and religious leader, he inherited that long list of titles from a stable line of strong Sultans, the people expected him to be just as strong as his father, his grandfather, and so on, people also expected me to be strong in his stead until he reaches adulthood, or at very least becomes old enough for them to deem him fit of ruling without a regent, though even them I will still be there, guiding my son until the day that I day, until the day that my purpose is fulfilled. Once the bowing was complete and my guests had risen, I returned Abdullah Timur to his golden crib and the procession that had taken my son into this room prepared to leave again, though they would not actually proceed out until I gave them the signal to go ahead, I was in charge of this ceremony.

"However, our young conqueror is a mere one year old, we cannot afford to have a child on the throne as we are surrounded with enemies, the Persians to the east, the Italian states to the west, the Russians to the northeast, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the north, and The Holy Roman Empire to the northwest, and the Sultanates of Arabia to the south, all of these are external threats to our great Empire, but there are internal threats too - the coup that killed my husband, rebellious provinces such as Montenegro, and numerous ethnic groups spread throughout the Empire - we must achieve internal unity and cooperation to combat our external threats. We must put aside our petty differences in the name of the expansion and the survival of our Empire, it does not matter if we are Muslims, Christians, Jews, we are all people of the book and we may all contribute to the continued greatness of Islamic civilization. We must keep pace technologically with the Europeans, our cannons and our superior navy are how we conquered Constantinople from the Byzantines to begin with, but we have lost that technological advantage and now we risk falling behind the Europeans, should we become a weak and backwards Empire, than our civilization is doomed. We must adapt to the times, as Europeans carve up the new world, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the east, we cannot be content with The Middle East, we must expand our reach to the rest of the world. This will be a critical time for The Ottoman Empire and we must ensure that we enter the future alongside the Europeans rather than trailing behind them, therefore, I must assume the role of my son's regent, we cannot afford to be left rudderless lest we die away as if we were a sick man, no, we must be strong and healthy, even if strength and health comes in a feminine form, temporarily anyway, I do not intend to seize power, I intend to do what is the best for my son, and, by extension, the Empire."

I announced my regency officially, though it had been a known secret since my husband's death that I intended to fill his shoes, nevertheless, I had outmaneuvered and assassinated my competition in the form of Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, therefore, it was a deserved honor and my guests, whether they be sycophants or legitimately impressed, filled Topkapi Palace with applause, during the applause the procession took Abdullah Timur out of the room, it was time for the next part of the ceremony. I was going to be Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire, now I just had to resolve the question of who would replace Ibrahim Pasha as Grand Vizier.

"I cannot do this alone, therefore, I have called for candidates from throughout the Empire to present themselves to me and to the Ottoman court, I will choose from the candidates based on merit and what they can offer to my reign, I shall not let ethnicity or religion play a role in the process, if an Armenian Christian suits my needs better than a Muslim Turk, I shall choose the Armenian and if the Turk is the better choice then I shall choose the Turk, hopefully this tolerant meritocracy will set an example for the Empire now and for the Empire going forward." I announced and thus, five candidates came up to the steps of the throne, there were four men, all clearly from different provinces of the Empire, some were old, some were young - the older ones would be more experienced now and they would help The Ottoman Empire in the short term, however, I would prefer a younger Grand Vizier because my rule honestly matter for me nearly as much as my son's reign, therefore, I wanted a Grand Vizier who would serve my son after my reign as regent is over. The fifth candidate was a woman, Arabic by appearance, but she wore a sleeveless dress with a low neckline, far from traditional and she's clearly the youngest of the candidates, I have to admit that she already has me more intrigued than the other candidates - which the traditionalists and the conservatives of The Ottoman Empire will not appreciate, a Sultana was one thing, but a Sultana and a female Grand Vizier at the same time? That was pushing it - however, I would hear out the benefits of each of the five candidates and make a choose based on merit, just as I had promised, rather than deciding based on my own intrigue.

"Many thanks to you my great Sultana-regent, I humble myself upon you and I present myself to you." I already didn't like the first candidate, he was a sycophantic fool and based on his accent, he has Egyptian "My name is Muhammad Pasha and I have twice served as the administrator of Alexandria, I have served as an admiral in The Ottoman Navy in our wars against the Venetians and the Genoese, and I was awarded the honorific of Pasha by your late husband, the legendary Sultan Suleiman III. I will offer your court with a military and administrative mind, I offer experience with your family given that I was entitled Pasha by your husband, in fact, I believe we have met before at a dinner, do you remember?"

"No." I replied, coldly. I didn't remember Muhammad Pasha, first of all, there were plenty of men within The Ottoman Empire named Muhammad or some variation of that name, second of all, the honorific Pasha was way too common throughout the Empire, virtually every single Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire has held that title either before or shortly after becoming Grand Vizier, therefore not only did I have to remember so many current bearers of the name I also had to remember a ton of former bearers of that name, third of all, my husband and I have hosted a ton of dinner guests, a number of them from Egypt, a number of those are from Alexandria, as Alexandria is the second most important city in Egypt, behind Cairo. Therefore, no, I don't remember Muhammad Pasha and I don't want to deal with a sycophant as my Grand Vizier, I had Muhammad Pasha pegged as someone I don't like and the more time he spends bragging about himself, the less I want to deal with him. I acknowledge that it's a little hypocritical to judge someone for bragging about their accomplishments when I listed out all of my son's titles, however, my I listed my son's title because this is a ceremony about me becoming his regent, therefore, my son deserves his pomp and circumstance, he's the Sultan of The Ottoman Empire, Muhammad Pasha is an egotistical bureaucrat and one time admiral.

"Oh...well...I hope that you would consider me for the position of Grand Vizier." Muhammad Pasha retreated back to the lineup of the five candidates, he wanted to use the fact that we've allegedly met one another once as his trump card, he wanted to use that as his way into the position of Grand Vizier to make up for the fact that his accomplishments aren't all that impressive, many admirals and generals from throughout the Empire have been rewarded with temporary governorships from throughout the Empire, though admittedly, a place as great importance such as Alexandria is usually not handed out to governors, let alone twice, though given that it is on the coast and my husband seems to have known Muhammad Pasha - well, that's what he claims anyway - perhaps Pasha earned his administration over Alexandria through his naval accomplishments, or maybe my husband was more receptive to sycophants, I wasn't sure. My husband never shared his political power, he did provide me with power in his stead when he went off on military campaigns, such as his last one to Azerbaijan and Armenia - which is why that I was able to be seen as regent so quickly, even if Ibrahim Pasha begged to differ - but when my husband was in Konstantiniyye, all of the power belonged to him and I was pushed out of power in favor of my husband and his trusted allies, especially Ibrahim Pasha. Regardless of what my husband may have thought of Muhammad Pasha, if he even thought of Muhammad Pasha to begin with, I wasn't a fan of the Egyptian two-time administrator and one-time admiral, I wasn't going to make him Grand Vizier, time for the next one of the five candidates.

"Next," I ordered and the next candidate walked up, this one was an older man, bearded yet balding, he was probably too old to serve my son and therefore I probably wasn't going to pick him, but he may be the best of this bunch - it's fairly alarming to only get five candidates for Grand Vizier, it's a prestigious and well-paying position, but there's only the five: perhaps this meant that people didn't have much faith in me staying in power for long, perhaps some people, seeing my husband killed by a Levantine coup and the Grand Vizier killed shortly after, they probably don't have much faith in Ottoman politics to begin with, perhaps the traditionalists of the Empire refuse to become my Grand Vizier because they refused to acknowledge my regency over The Ottoman Empire because I was a woman - women have held power before, as co-rulers for their husbands or short regencies during lengthy wars, but this was the first long term regency in Ottoman history and it was one we couldn't avoid as Suleiman III had slaughtered his brothers to take the throne, as have countless Ottoman Sultans before him, therefore, Abdullah Timur I had no brothers, no cousins, no uncles, there were female relatives, but no male, even bastard children were slaughtered because only the male parent officially mattered in Ottoman succession, a side effect of both polygamy and the harem, though my husband died before he found any extra wives, in fact, Suleiman III dying young is the root of virtually all my problems as of late.

"My Sultana," the older candidate simply bowed and then rose, he showed reverence to his Sultana but he wasn't being a sycophant, this was a better start at least, if for no reason than this candidate had the luxury of observing my interaction with Muhammad Pasha and the wisdom to apply the lessons of that observation, he already demonstrated that, if nothing else, he's smarter and better at reading people than his predecessor, therefore, if I only had these two candidates, then he would become by Grand Vizier, but I would listen to him and then I would listen to the other candidates, them I would make my decision, but so far, Muhammad Pasha has already lost "My name is Ismail Ali Yilmaz, I have represented The Ottoman Empire in The Sultanate of Hormuz as a diplomat and I have cultivated a delicate peace in Arabia despite the fact that the minor Sheikdoms, Emirates, and Sultanates of The Arabian Peninsula being divided between our allies and the allies of Hormuz who the Portuguese seek to exploit in their attempts to dominant trade in The Indian Ocean. We now have access from the straits of Hormuz, therefore, our ports in Mesopotamia now have access to The Indian Ocean, defying Portugal's wishes. I have succeeded in Arabia and provided us with an opportunity to strike at our stronger neighbors without worrying over threats to the south. I will serve as your master of diplomacy if given the chance, subverting our enemies, defying their expectations, and turning our enemies against one another, this is why I should be Grand Vizier."

"You make an interesting proposition Ismail, I will decide what your role within the Ottoman court will be once I hear from all the candidates." I replied, much more kindly than my previous reply to Muhammad Pasha. Ismail wasn't going to be my Grand Vizier, his talents are better used elsewhere, he will be my go to diplomat, I can give him broad authority over Ottoman diplomacy without entrusting him with the other elements of being Grand Vizier, therefore, I already promised him a role within the Ottoman court, even if I doubted he would survive long enough to see my son take the throne, but I wasn't going to make him Grand Vizier, he was a one trick diplomacy pony, which granted was better than what Muhammad Pasha could offer, but it wasn't enough, I expected more from the most prestigious office subservient to the throne itself, therefore, the next candidate came up. This candidate, the one who stood in the middle, quite deliberately too, as he was the one who I saw first when I looked down at the five candidates, wore a mustache and neatly trimmed black hair, he wasn't a Turk and he wasn't Middle Eastern, he looked to be from the Balkan provinces of the Empire. Young, European, and handsome, he would have nothing of substance to offer but he would be completely overconfident about it, I almost didn't want to give him a chance but I knew that I had to and, who knows, perhaps he'll subvert my expectations, he could be the Grand Vizier that I need, but I have to be honest, I have my doubts.

"Hello my Hellenic regent, Sultana of The Ottomans, my name is Lazaros Konstantinopolites and I have lived a turbulent life." Lazaros began, his angle was the Greek angle, but I wasn't going to ley ethnicity decide this, I was choosing based on merit and if he has to begin with the fact that we were both Greeks - different Greeks, mind you, his surname indicates that he's from Konstantiniyye whilst I'm from Crimea and The House of Gothia is descendant from Anatolian aristocracy within The Byzantine Empire, therefore, the same ethnicity angle doesn't really work here - I doubt he has much of a resume to offer. I realize that I'm being very critical of these candidates for Grand Vizier, but I have five people to choose from and the idea was for this person to be Grand Vizier for myself and for my son, therefore, I needed someone who can effectively help me and my son run The Ottoman Empire for the next few decades, this wasn't going to cut it, Muhammad Pasha wasn't going to cut it, and Ismail Ali Yilmaz would have a role within my court, but he was not going to be the Grand Vizier, therefore, my hopes rested on the last two candidates, the final man and the woman, nevertheless, Lazaros kept talking "I was born here in Constantinople but I moved to Athens as a child, from there, I was embraced by the local Greeks, to the point where at nineteen years old, I lead a revolt in Athens, we fought fiercely, we fought the Athenian garrison to an impasse and we kept fighting until Suleiman III himself arrived. I was imprisoned and at twenty-four years old I was being transported to Cyprus when I seized control of the vessel alongside my fellow prisoners, we made our life on the Mediterranean until The Ottomans captured me once again in Ragusa, this time, however, I had been enough of a thorn in his side that your late husband had decided to use me to suppress Serbian uprisings, I was serving The Ottomans, but after five years a prisoner and on the run, I was free. I took my new position to heart and crushed the Serbs, no one else here can match me for martial ability - you said you wanted to expand our borders, if that's true, then I'm the obvious choice, I am the only one who can and will lead your armies to victory.

"Very well then Lazaros. Next claimant please." I gave the bare minimum in dismissing Konstantinopolites, I didn't dismiss Muhammad Pasha so much as both of us watched his plan to worming his way to the position of Grand Vizier collapsed around him, Muhammad Pasha was more of a sad failure than Lazaros, Lazaros is just an overconfident military man who loves nothing more than to talk about himself, I'm sure his accomplishments were vastly inflated, realistically, all these accomplishments listed today are inflated - for instance, Ismail didn't mention that our many ports in Egypt and western Arabia gave us access to The Red Sea and, beyond that, The Indian Ocean, so Ismail didn't open a new field of trade so much as he added a potentially shorter route to our portion of The Indian Ocean trade network, in fact, Ismail has probably bought us closer to war with Portugal over Indian Ocean trade than anyone else, though I did want to expand into the trade network, because Indian Ocean trade was incredibly lucrative and, in addition to benefitting The Ottoman Empire, it would harm Portugal and, by extension, whatever alliance of Catholic states that The Pope decides to raise up against us in an ill-faded attempt at a crusade, an attempt of a crusade that we would be able to repel, perhaps rather easily, and then we would be able to counterattack. War with Europe meant war with The Holy Roman Empire and now The Holy Roman Emperor is The Archduke of Austria and King of Hungary, therefore, this would give us a chance to seize more Hungarian territory, territory beyond The Danube, whether it's Hungary proper, Transylvania, or Slovakia. I had ambitious goals for conquest, but the way of the world is that so do my enemies, so yes, I had to conquer more land, but for however much land I can successfully conquer, is more land for me to protect, which meant that I would need more soldiers, more forts, and inevitably that would mean that costs would explode and our economy would collapse, twisting the Empire from one at the height of its power to a vestigial Empire on a sharp decline whilst neighbors eagerly wait for the chance to partition my Ottoman Empire.

"Good afternoon Sultana," the penultimate claimant greeted, he was a middle aged name with a beard, but it wasn't a long beard, it was a neatly trimmed one framing his jaw, we wore a fez on his head and spoke with a clear accent - he was an Albanian. Geographically speaking, if any two ethnicities were going to convert to Islam, I would've thought it would be the Greeks and Bulgarians, they're closest to Turkey and they've been conquered the longest, however, the Greeks and the Bulgarians have been amongst the least receptive to conversion, alongside the Serbians. Now, looking at more than just geography, the Greeks, the Bulgarians, and the Serbians have all ruled over Empires and they all have a national identity linked with Orthodox Christianity, so they haven't converted in any significant numbers. Croatia hasn't converted because we've only just established our rule over the country and the Habsburg Kings of Hungary are not happy about our rule over Croatian or any of our Danubian lands. Montenegrins are either rebelling from the Empire or sleeping so there really isn't a chance to convert them, so considering that, perhaps it's a little less surprising that our missionaries have had success bringing Islam to Albania - which has been caught in transitions between Catholicism and Orthodoxy for centuries as they were threatened with Ottoman conquest, perhaps the best example of how chaotic religion in Albania is their national hero, Skanderbeg who was born Orthodox, converted to Islam in the service of the Sultanate, defected to the Venetians, converted to Catholicism, and began a brutal guerilla war in northern Albania, resisting Ottoman rule for far longer than such a small country could've been expected to resist us - and Bosnia, which is caught between Catholic Croatia and Orthodox Serbia, on top of all that, Bosnia has experimented versions of Christianity that their neighbors have deemed as heretical. It makes some sense that Albania and Bosnia are the ones that have converted to Islam in larger numbers than any other Balkan group, still, geographically, it doesn't make much sense, two isolated concentrations of Islamic populations within The Balkan peninsula, already at the transitional zone between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, religious differences are one reason why the revolts against Ottoman rule are easily crushed, they aren't fighting for Balkan independence, their fighting for their group's independence, therefore, the revolts, rather than unified and concurrent, are isolated and sporadic, allowing our already stretched thin armies to crush them, larger, more unified revolts could severely threaten our rule over Balkan Europe. The Albanian man still hasn't continued after his greeting, I suppose that he wanted me to greet him...was he another candidate who expected me to remember him of the hundreds upon hundreds of men involved in administering The Ottoman Empire, fine, I'll greet him, but I won't pretend to know him.

"Hello, you may speak." I tried to hide the irritation in my voice, I failed, I was already doubting that this candidate would have anything to offer as Grand Vizier and, knowing The Ottoman Empire, the woman wouldn't have had the chance to develop any skills that would make her worthy of being my Grand Vizier, none of these five were worthy, the closest was probably Ismail Ali Yilmaz, who I would have as my head of diplomacy rather than Grand Vizier. I sighed, there's a real chance that I'll have to walk out of this ceremony without a Grand Vizier and then call upon candidates again in a few months once my rule seems a little more permanent - I'd imagine that plenty of Ottoman politicians think that I'll be forced out of power the moment I have it, but I was here to prove them wrong, I was going to be regent of The Ottoman Empire until my son is ready to take the throne.

"Thank you, my Sultana. My name is Spartak Pasha and I was born in Albania but when I was twenty years old, I moved to Konstantiniyye and I became acquainted with Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, by the time I was thirty, Ibrahim Pasha was grooming me to be his successor, he taught me everything that he knew. I wish I could've been with him during his final days, but I had gone to Mecca on my Hajj, so I was absent when Suleiman III died and then when my friend and patron Ibrahim Pasha died shortly after. Ibrahim would've wanted to have been Grand Vizier after him and your husband knew this, if The Grand Vizier died before your husband, your husband would've appointed me Grand Vizier. We've met before Sultana, I know that you may not remember me, but I certainly remember you and, when you choose your Grand Vizier, I hope that you make the right choice." I was not going to pick Spartak Pasha, Captain Draganov and I had assassinated Ibrahim Pasha and having his would-be successor around the court with so much more was dangerous, as Grand Vizier, Spartak Pasha would have a very real chance of finding out what happened and he may contact those powerful friends within the Empire that Ibrahim Pasha had - there were plenty of conservatives and traditionalists within the Turkish aristocracy within the Empire, plenty of them were willing to resort to murder to keep their country the way that they want it, so I don't want to provoke them, which is why the assassination is such a delicate secret.

"Very well, time for our final candidate." I turned to the female candidate and she started on her way up, but Spartak Pasha refused to budge, the female candidate gave a bemused smile and crossed her arms - she didn't see Spartak as a threat and she thought that him remaining here was a pathetic display of immaturity and clinging to the tradition of The Ottoman Empire, quite frankly, I was inclined to agree with her "I said next candidate Spartak, this stubbornness and immaturity is not helping your case for being Grand Vizier, if anything, you're actively harming yourself."

"Sultana, you don't need to hear from her, you know that The Ottoman Empire cannot have a female ruler and a female Grand Vizier at the same time, you know that you're spitting in the face of our traditions, the Grand Vizier has always been a man and, before you, the ruler of The Ottoman Empire has always been a man, that's how it's always been, and how it always will be." Spartak Pasha argued, he was just like Ibrahim Pasha in that he thought he had the power to judge how The Ottoman Empire was run, powerful friends or not, I would rather deal with a few assassination attempts than these conservative Turks constantly challenging my authority and dictating how I should run my Empire. I had to show them who is in charge lest they decide to ignore me all together and start influencing my son, trying to turn an impressionable young child against me.

"Spartak, back down. Now." I ordered, sternly.

"No Sultana, I will not let my Empire be corrupted." He replied, just as sternly.

"Janissaries!" I called and suddenly, six Janissaries were up and alongside my throne, wielding swords of a deadly length, all aimed at Spartak Pasha, and among these Janissaries was Captain Draganov - regardless of what happened, she was still a Janissary Captain and she was still going to protect the Sultan and his family no matter what, that was his duty, and since I was Abdullah Timur's mother and his Sultana-regent, that meant that Captain Draganov, as well as all of the Janissaries, were sworn to protect me to the last man. I smirked as Spartak Pasha scurried away and the Janissaries returned to their spot, standing as still as statues yet always watching and always prepared to slaughter any threat to my regime with brutal efficiency. The Janissaries were boys taken from their homes and converted by force, I give myself up and was taken away from Theodoro so my family could escape, because of that, I had to convert as well, so the Janissaries saw a bit of themselves in me, they would always protect me, even if Olga is holding a justified grudge against me because of my horrid behavior. The final candidate, the female candidate, came up to the steeps before the throne.

"My name is Fatimah bint Abdul, my father is the Governor of Tunis. My father initially accompanied your husband in Persia but he returned to Tunis with grievous injuries to his hands and he was half-blind by the time he returned, therefore, I, only eighteen at the time, began assisting him in administering the realm, at this point, I'm the de facto Governor of Tunis at only nineteen. Tunis is one of only three provinces west of Egypt that run a surplus rather than a deficit, our levy has gone from a civilian militia to a professional army operating in pike and shot formations, should The Ottoman Army ever call for our levy, our levy is perhaps the only one in North Africa up to their standards, and I have managed to refurbish The Tunis Mosque, bringing it up to modern standards. Everything I've said can be confirmed by your records, there's no need for me to exaggerate." Fatimah was finally what I was looking for, a young jack of all trades.

"Thank you Fatimah." I smiled at her before turning to the audience as a whole "The choice is clear, The Grand Vizier will be Fatimah bint Abdul."

The crowd cheered, Spartak Pasha fumed, and Fatimah bowed before climbing the steps and standing next to my throne, I was Sultana-regent and she was Grand Vizier, this could be the beginning of a wonderful partnership.

* * *

This has been chapter five of Legacy of The Romans, it was a double upload this week and I hope you liked these two long chapters, I'll see you here again in two weeks for chapter six and perhaps a chapter or two more, we shall see.


	6. Kiev Under Siege

Helloings friends! It's time for chapter six of Romans and here we return to Tsarina Anastasia's perspective for the next stage of the Russian war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Siege of Kiev.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter VI.

Kiev Under Siege.

* * *

Cannon fire erupted from the Polish and Lithuanian fortifications built up around Kiev - we would have to fight our way just to be able to lay siege to the city, but if that's what it takes to retake the former capital of The Kievan Rus, then so be it - our cannons returned fire as their soldiers screamed and their palisades shattered, but their remaining cannons still remained and still fired, it was clear what they were trying to do, they've already lost too much, they've lost control over Byelorussia and Zaporizhia, they lost their King, and they were in danger of losing Kiev as well, for our enemies, their mission was clear: they must hold on to Kiev at all costs. Our mission was equally clear: Kiev had once been the center of Russian culture and it was our mission to reclaim our former cultural capital, therefore, we had to take Kiev at all costs. This has been the stalement ever since my army under the command of General Mikhailovich crossed the Dnieper, we've barely managed to advance from the banks of the river and we were still separated from the forces of General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov, but we would reach them eventually, the Poles haven't even decided who will rule them let alone had the chance to organize a response, therefore, it was only a matter of time until these forward fortifications flew, it was only a matter of time until both The Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine were united, and it was only a matter of time until Kiev itself fell under our rule. We would win The Siege of Kiev just as we had won The Siege of Minsk, we had the resources and we had the men, it had to be done, because taking Kiev is what shall allow us to take Ruthenia. This wouldn't be easy, but we will do it.

I rode on the back of a horse along with my army while Yelizaveta remained at the camp across the river with the non-fighting elements of The Russian Imperial Army - cooks, scouts, washing women, and other such staff - or she was supposed to anyway, I could never be certain that Liz would stay away from something like this, but fortunately, I found no trace of her on this battlefield. This was fortunate because, everywhere I looked, I could see dead bodies, dead horses, shattered splinters, smoldering steel, and scorched Earth, this was grueling warfare, but we would have to push through it, greatness awaits us if we can win this. Therefore, we pushed on, shattering more wood, disabling more cannons, killing more men, and losing more of our own - it was messy but we were making progress, we just needed to fight through these fortifications and then we could settle in for a proper siege, once we got to that stage, surely the combined power of both my Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine would force the defenders of Kiev to surrender in order to afford further bloodshed...surely. This was war, modern warfare, obviously the loss of life would be tremendous on all sides as progressively deadlier and progressively more advanced weapons clash against one another, but that didn't make it an easier to see the carnage, that didn't make it any easier to see a Russian soldier in hand-to-hand combat with a Ruthenian - our ethnic brethren - in service of the Poles and the Lithuanians, and that didn't make it any easier to give the order to push through the field of splinters and death towards the next set of enemy fortifications, but it was something that had to be done, we had to keep moving, so I relayed the order down to General Mikhailovich who spread the order to the troops, The Russian Imperial Army would not be bogged down!

So we pressed forward again, we needed to make significant progress before nightfall because we needed to fight our way to a suitable camp ground - any land we gave up overnight the Poles and the Lithuanians would have reclaimed and fortified by morning, meaning we would have to fight for that land yet again and again the next night and again the night after that, no, we needed a secure bridgehead on this side of the river big enough for our whole army and all our supply wagons to comfortably make it over to this side - ideally, our bridgehead would be big enough that if would join the territory that General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov already occupied, meaning that tomorrow we'd be able to advance as a single overwhelming unit, but I doubted that we'd be able to accomplish all that today, already we were struggling to advance and we weren't even close to joining up with our fellow army and their Cossack allies. The Cossacks were proving helpful in this fight, all our cavalry was as they could outflank enemy cannons and kill the Poles and Lithuanians protecting them, allowing us to take those undamaged cannons and either replace what we've lost or enhance our number of artillery pieces, this was incredibly helpful and it was good that we had additional Cossacks with us now, but we'd need more than rapid horsemen to capture Kiev and especially for when we turned our attention away from the territories we wanted to annex and onto the heartland of Poland, where Krakow was and where the capital of Warsaw was - Warsaw, where the nobles of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are meeting to elect their new King after their last one Sigismund Augustus II was killed in The Battle of Brest - this shamefully democratic parliament of nobles was known as The Sejm and I was eager to liberate Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia from this disastrous Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and bring them back into the Russian fold.

A Polish cannon hit the ground just in front of me as we tried to advance, my trained war horse, as disciplined as he was, panicked and reared up, I was surprised and because of that, I fell off of the horse and fell to the ground. The horse ran off to who knows well while a whole squadron of Muscovite infantry gathered around me, helping me to my feet and protecting me until they could get another horse for me. This seemed like a horrible moment for me, this seemed like we were going to be overwhelmed, but seeing me fall gave our enemies false confidence - they thought that our army was now headless, they thought that I was dead, and they thought that they could turn the tide; they were wrong. I was alive, General Mikhailovich was in command, and we would crush our Polish enemies. Polish infantry tied to charge our position, it was a few hundred men and they were determined to drive us back at least a little bit, but it wouldn't be - as they charged our shooters started firing at them, now, guns aren't very accurate but firing in volume was still devastating, what was equally devastating is that our Cossacks then turned around and hit the infantry charge from behind...the Poles couldn't back down now, they were surrounded on both sides and they'd be absolutely slaughtered regardless. I watched as the valiant Polish charge turned into a bloodbath courtesy of my mighty Russian men, when it was all over, I cringed as I had to step over dead bodies to get onto a new horse, reclaiming command. The Polish infantry charged had thinned out the defenders and we were able to turn incremental progress into a massive advance, but we weren't at the walls of Kiev yet, we weren't even connecting with The Army of The Ukraine quite yet, but we were in a better position now than we had been earlier, even if we were once again bogged down by Polish and Lithuanian defenders.

Incremental fighting continued after the charge and we made some progress, but try as we might we couldn't make the critical breakthrough that we needed in order to properly lay siege to Kiev, but we weren't worried, the trajectory of the war was clear now - the Poles and Lithuanians would have to do a hell of a lot more to beat us than we'd need to do to win this war, we've already gained so much, we've already turned their southern Cossacks against them, and we've already killed one Polish King - we would win The Siege of Kiev and we would win this war, after that, the riches of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be ours and a new Moscow will usher in the beginning of a new golden age for Russia, a new golden age for The Third Rome.

The Third Rome was a glamorous title and it was ours by right as Moscow was the center of Orthodox civilization now that Constantinople has been lost to the Turks, regardless of what The Patriarch of Constantinople says about them, an Islamic empire cannot be trusted to control the center of Orthodox Christianity, after all, we all saw what happened to Zoroastrianism in Persia under Islamic rule, the religion of the most powerful Empire of antiquity reduced to a miniscule minority, never to see their greatness again as their Islamic overlords appropriate their religious symbols - now, Orthodox Christianity in Russia does borrow from Slavic pagan traditions, particularly in folklore, but we at least converted from Slavic paganism to Orthodox Christianity, there's continuity, meanwhile, in Persia, the Muslims are invaders - granted, the invasion was nine hundred years ago, but still, tolerant or not, I would rather the continuation of Orthodox civilization be an Orthodox civilization rather than an Islamic one, and there are plenty who agree with me, hence, our symbol is the double-headed Byzantine eagle and Moscow is the rightful claimant to the title of The Third Rome.

Third Rome or not, the fighting here outside of Kiev was slowing down as the sun set and darkness came over us, the last few volleys of cannon fire were exchanged before both sides settled down for the night. There would be guards up on both sides over the night to ensure neither us nor our enemies attempted to assault each other's camps at night, especially considering both of us were camped essentially on the front lines to avoid losing any ground. We would not commit an assault, we weren't the desperate ones here, it didn't matter if we won the war tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, we had already made way more progress than anyone could've ever expected way ahead of schedule, therefore, we didn't need to resort to anything as messy and dishonorable as a night time assault, but the Poles on the other hand...they might not have any other choice, so we had guards at the ready and we'd make sure that the Poles and the Lithuanians go to bed before we do; we are not going to be caught off guard tonight.

So, now changed into a comfortable dress, I sat wrapped in a blanket next to the campfire, Yelizaveta sat next to me in a similar dress, leaning against me for warmth - I adjusted the blanket so that it covered the both myself and my sister - across the fire from us sat General Mikhailovich and his most trusted officers. I overheard them talking in hushed tones in Russian about their plans for tomorrow - they were eager to push through the Polish and Lithuanian defenses and meet up with the forces of Generals Perevernykruchenko and Feodorov, if not push far enough that we're able to begin the siege, sure I could've included myself in the planning if I wanted to, but I didn't really want to right now, I'd rather talk to my little sister. I glanced around the camp fire, all of the lieutenants as well as General Mikhailovich obviously knew Russian, which ruled out the main way that Yelizaveta and I communicate with one another, but there are other ways to have a private conversation, we were resourceful. The two of us both knew Georgian thanks to our mother Maria Davidovna so we quietly talked to one another in the Caucasian language, quiet enough that the General and his men couldn't hear and foreign to them even if they did hear us, we had the warmth of the fire and the ability to hold a private conversation, it was the best of both worlds.

"It's cold, my back hurts, and we're gonna have to do more of this tomorrow - are you still glad that you came along?" I smirked as I asked my sister, it was unseasonably cold tonight and I fear that it may continue like this for the rest of the siege, thankfully, once we had Kiev we would move west and then north out of Ruthenia and into Galicia and then into Poland proper, so hopefully the weather there will be a bit more hospitable, especially as we leave Europe's breadbasket for rougher terrain to the west. My back hurt because of that damned horse rearing up and knocking me to the ground - I'm the Tsarina of Russia, I'm not built for hard impacts like that, nor do I have a sturdy build, I'm thin with a slightly hourglass figure, is it beautiful? Sure, is it a practical body shape? No, so yeah, my back hurts. As for what he had to do tomorrow, well, we had to continue fighting towards Kiev and ideally we'd start the siege, but both of us knew that already, both of us knew these days of besieging a city would be grueling, but the question is whether or not my sister was regretting the fact that she was here with me in Ruthenia laying siege to Kiev instead of being warm and safe in Kolomenskoye with Sofiya...poor Sophie, I hope she doesn't feel too lonely or upset that her big sisters Anastasia and Yelizaveta were off on an adventure in the form of a war while she was all alone in our little royal retreat outside of Moscow.

"I am glad, yes it's either incredibly dangerous or horribly boring, but I'm glad to be here with my sister, with you." Yelizaveta smiled sweetly, I smiled sweetly in return, we could make everything work, we could get past what happened that night in Byelorussia, and we could both be happy and in separate regardless of what feelings may have or may have not existed between myself and my younger sister. Everything would be fine going forward, we would win this war, we would usher in a golden age for The Tsardom of Russia, and we would sort out our loved lives - perhaps it'll be as simple as finding a pair of lesbian noblewomen, one for myself and one for Yelizaveta, perhaps it will be far more difficult, right now, I don't know, but we will deal with it later. After this war, we'll return to Moscow and then, well...we'll go from there.

"Well I'm glad that you're here...even though I know I shouldn't let you come along. But I did...I'm happy I did, even what happened that night in Minsk made me happy." I started stammering a bit as I was overwhelmed with emotions, seeing my blue-eyed, blonde haired little sister beautifully lit up by the campfire almost unleashed a primal part of me that can never, ever reach the surface, I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the good parts of this emotional onslaught, our sisterly bond, the nice warmth brought on by both the fire and our proximity, and the fact that we'd soon be back in Moscow...it helped a little bit, it helped me compose myself. I was happy about what happened that night in Minsk, yes it's introduced a horrifying revelation into my life, but, the fact that both Yelizaveta and I know of this sinful attraction and the fact that we're both willing to work together in order to make this better means that our bond and our friendship as sisters can never be broken - if we can survive something utterly unmentionable, then we can survive anything. This meant more to me than any war or any amount of success for The Tsardom of Russia, my relationship with my sister Yelizaveta and my relationship with all of my remaining family - especially Sofiya and my mother Maria Davidovna - meant more to me than the whole world, especially now that my father is dead and I have to hold the weight of The Tsardom of Russia on my shoulders, I need my mother and my two sisters to keep me sane. I don't want to lose Yelizaveta, especially not for reasons as revolting as those that currently cloud our sisterhood and have ever since that night just outside of Minsk.

"I'm glad about it too, Nastya." Yelizaveta replied, still speaking in Georgian for most of the sentence, but in the end, she used the Russian nickname for Anastasia, the one she always referred to me as - Nastya was the nickname for Anastasia, not Ana, not Anna, and certainly not Anya - that made me feel comfortable, that reminded me of all that memories we shared as sisters, memories that would keep us safe from any sort of perversion, memories that will prevent our sisterhood from being twisted into something unspeakable - what didn't make me feel comfortable about it was that Liz was glad about what happened as well, once again, that meant that something could come of this - all I wanted is for something to definitively put an end to this potential...thing, but so far, there's been nothing, and that scares me. What scared me even more is that, soon enough, we'll again have to sleep on that one cot in the same tent as that night in Minsk, the only differences now being the location and the fact that we both wanted the same sinful thing...I had to control myself and Yelizaveta had to control herself, but on that same cot once again...who knows what will happen.

"Look Liz, I..." I was about to respond to my little sister when suddenly the whole camp was alive with an incredible commotion as a number of Russian soldiers escorted a large number of soldiers in Polish uniforms into the camp - these soldiers were unarmed and held their hands above their heads to show that they were surrendering to us - these weren't Polish soldiers however, nor were they Lithuanians, they weren't citizens of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at all. The hushed and doubtful German tones that these soldiers spoke to one another in and the fact that they've already betrayed their employers could only mean that these men were mercenaries - German mercenaries had been a cornerstone of late Medieval warfare and, even today, German mercenaries can be the difference between a decisive victory and a humiliating defeat, however, they are increasingly being replaced by professional armies. A major reason for mercenaries being replaced is that if mercenaries aren't paid or if they decide being on the losing end of a battle isn't worth it, they may desert their employers or they may switch sides, obviously neither of those are ideal and the fact that these soldiers are being escorted into our camp suggests that they've betrayed their previous employers The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and want to come over to The Tsardom of Russia. These mercenaries wanted to change sides because they could see that the momentum was with us Russians and that we were going to win this war sooner rather than later, these mercenaries didn't want to lose, they wanted to win, whether it was because being on the winning side increased their chances of surviving this war and getting paid or because losing a war would hurt their reputation more than changing sides and these mercenaries understandably wanted continued and prosperous employment because mercenaries, by definition, make a living off of war but no one wants to lose a war, let alone pay money to foreigners to lose wars on their behalf, therefore, mercenary captains are especially disloyal as they don't care about the results of a war, they only care about payment.

I turned to General Mikhailovich and he got up from the campfire, walking over to speak with the mercenaries, I moved the blanket fully over Yelizaveta before getting up and joining the general. The mercenary captain knew some broken Russian and explained, predictably, that he wanted to change sides and he was willing to not only fight for us, he was also willing to let us know about the Polish and Lithuanian fortifications around Kiev and the fortifications of the city itself, something which could considerably shorten The Siege of Kiev. He and his mercenaries probably weren't worth the money as a fighting force - they were too few in number and we already had an overwhelming amount of troops, though I suppose we can spread out the mercenaries and fill in some of the gaps left in our forces after today's hard fighting, they ultimately would have a negligible impact on the siege as a fighting force - however, information on the enemy defenses and any potential weaknesses would be critical as we could press those weak points and break their forward fortifications once and for all and finally begin a proper Siege of Kiev, more similar to The Siege of Minsk that this which was essentially a battle, more of a battle than a siege anyway. We would essentially be paying for information and a few reinforcements we didn't need, but even that could be enough to retake Kiev.

"What do you think, Tsarina?" General Mikhailovich turned to me, he seemed uncertain about the mercenary call despite the fact that I awarded him with command of The Russian Imperial Army - likely because paying the mercenary would come out of my treasury and, while the price of a few hundred mercenaries is really just a drop in the bucket, he still didn't want to make a decision involving state spending, especially not if I was here to make the decision. I was gonna accept this because the cost doesn't matter and the information they have about the positions and the defenses of those still loyal to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were well worth the price, this could be what it takes to win The Siege of Kiev and this will open up the way for further expansion for The Tsardom of Russia to the west - into Galicia, into Poland, and into Lithuania, along with the lands of The Livonian Order which currently act as a buffer between Protestant Sweden and the Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The lands of The Livonian Order will provide us with access to The Baltic Sea - a longer coastline and a strong navy will allow us to compete with The Kingdom of Sweden over Baltic dominance. Of course, all of this was theoretical right now, but in this war we have already decisively proved that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth cannot hold onto Byelorussia and Ruthenia and even the most devout deniers will admit that once Kiev itself is in our hands and our objective changes from occupying the territories we want to inflicting maximum damage in the heart of Poland to force a rapid surrender and to retrieve the riches of Warsaw and Krakow, the riches to fund my new Moscow.

"Their information will help us, either because we'll catch the Poles by surprise or we'll hit them while they're modifying their fortifications, either way, we can win." I answered and General Mikhailovich seemed to agree, we were going to work with these mercenaries. Their information would lead to us either going in with advanced knowledge of enemy positions or we'd be able to abuse the chaos as the Poles and Lithuanians try and adjust and fortify their positions to prevent us from utilizing this unfair advantage - hundreds of mercenaries leaving camp and changing sides will obviously be noticed by the Poles and the Lithuanians and obviously they will try to negate our advantage as soon as possible, but that would be a victory for our enemies, I cannot allow our enemies to score any sort of victory, regardless of how small, at this stage. My strategy was to break The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth by rapidly conquering their territory, killing their King, and destroying their morale, leaving them with no choice but to surrender.

Therefore, we took in the German mercenaries and tomorrow we'd dress them up in Russian uniforms and arm them with Russian weapons, incorporating them into our army and using their inside knowledge against the Poles and the Lithuanians. The impacts of this war would be huge, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be reduced to just The Kingdom of Poland, Galicia, The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and The Duchy of Mazovia, as well as their heavily subjugated vassals in the form of The Duchy of Prussia - formed from the lands of The Teutonic Order which was conquered by The Kingdom of Poland and The Grand Duchy of Lithuania almost two centuries ago, the Poles secularized these lands, but they kept the lands in German hands - as well as The Voivodeship of Moldavia, also known as The Principality of Moldavia, this Romanian vassal state serves as a buffer between The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Ottoman Empire through their vassal, The Principality of Wallachia. Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania were all Romanian states, but none of them were independent right now, Wallachia was brutally brought into the Ottoman fold after a determined but doomed guerilla campaign against the Turks, but even the Draculesti couldn't hold out from The Ottomans forever, therefore, Wallachia was conquered and Moldavia has been a Polish vassal for centuries now, as for Transylvania, The Principality of Transylvania, ruled by The House Bathory, pledges loyalty to both the Habsburg Holy Roman Emperors and The Ottomans, both of which claim that Transylvania entirely belongs to them...yet another theater of battle between the Habsburgs and The Ottomans over The Lands of The Hungarian Crown. Both Empires wanted to rule over the Danube River and The Pannonian Basin - the Habsburgs because they were Kings of Hungary and The Ottoman Empire because they wanted to conquer literally anything within their grasp, I suppose that's good for me, because the Germans and the Turks are the biggest threats to Russian expansion in the west, The Ottomans again are the biggest threats to Russian expansion in the south, the Khanates are the biggest threat to Russian expansion east into Siberia and south into Central Asia, and The Kingdom of Sweden is the biggest threat to Russian expansion into The Baltic. We have many, many, many enemies, but all of them shall fall eventually, all of them will crumble just like The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is crumbling now - nothing shall stop The Tsardom of Russia. My ambitions and my dreams for Russia are endless, but tomorrow will be a long day of fighting as we attempt to break the Polish and Lithuanian lines so that we can finally lay siege to Kiev, the former capital of Russian civilization, with a clear mission and a lot to do tomorrow, Yelizaveta and I retired to our tent and went to bed, eager to see what tomorrow may bring, eager to finally see this war end in a Russian victory.

* * *

I can't say I was surprised the next morning when Yelizaveta and I once again woke up wrapped around one another despite going to sleep as wide apart from one another as the cot would allow and facing separate directions on top of that, but I was deeply disappointed - disappointed in myself, not in Liz, Liz is only sixteen, I'm eighteen and her older sister, I should be older and wiser, I should at least be able to control myself, but I couldn't even do that. Could I really be The Tsarina of Russia if I couldn't even keep myself from spooning my own sister in my sleep? Could I even control myself when I was wide awake for much longer? I didn't know, II wish I knew, but I didn't, I was a weak little girl and I had the largest country west of China under my control, that had to be too much for me, regardless of the fact we're winning this war - that was down to my generals such as Mikhailovich, Feodorov, and Perevernykruchenko, not down to my own skills - I had no idea if I could keep up this momentum...The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was one thing, but could I really win a war against The Ottoman Empire unless I grow up real quick and develop some discipline and some self-control? Ugh, I couldn't wait until Yelizaveta and I were back in Moscow so we can find some women and drown ourselves in love and sex until we forget all about that night in Minsk, this morning in Kiev, and whatever these feelings between us are, until then...well, both of us were going to be miserable as this incredibly quick war still dragged on like an eternity.

"We did it again." I sighed, burying my head in my hands as Yelizaveta and I both realized that we had, once again, woken up in the same borderline incestuous position - sure it was cold last night and if this was the first and only time this happened, we could brush it off as us trying to find warmth, but it wasn't the first time we woke up like this - it wasn't cold in Minsk, not this cold anyway, certainly warm enough for a pair of Russians to not need to cuddle together for warmth like a bunch of Greeks caught in the Swedish province of Finland. There were no excuses now and there were no excuses in Minsk - we would be able to work this out once we're back in Moscow, but who knows how many more nights we'll have to spend in this tent rather than a more spacious wagon? Who knows what will happen between us the next time we're in this tent? Or the time after that? Or after that? I'm terrified now, we have to control ourselves, we cannot do something that will destroy the reputation of The House Rurikovich - homosexuality alone was something we'd need to keep a tight secret in the Russian court, homosexual incest was a whole new level of taboo - incest has always been and always will be a taboo, cousin marriages are one thing, it's technically incestuous but it's not a taboo amongst people, especially not amongst royal families, but siblings being incestuous or God forbid parents being incestuous with their children...THAT is taboo and that won't be tolerated. A relationship between me and Yelizaveta cannot happen because if that secret would ever come out, that would permanently destroy our dynasty's reputation, a reputation dating all the way back to The Viking Conquest of Kiev.

"We did," Yelizaveta sighed, pulling her legs towards her and hugging them, both of us were quite uncomfortable about what happened for a second time last night, neither of us wanted to be incestuous...at least, that's what I thought. I couldn't have possibly predicted how this conversation would go, I thought that Yelizaveta and I were on the same page with all this - it made sense anyway, pretty much everyone could agree that sister-sister incest was a bad thing, but it seems that didn't hold true amongst the whole family - but I could already tell that Yelizaveta was uncomfortable talking about this, insisting that we put this off until we return to Moscow, but at this point, could we really delay dealing with this any longer? I couldn't have this on my mind during The Siege of Kiev and especially not our march on Warsaw, I couldn't go on like this, and I couldn't let these feelings between myself and my little sister exist for so much as a moment longer.

"Liz you know that we can't let this happen again." I pressed, I know that she didn't want to talk about it, but I had to be the responsible one right now, I needed to enforce my authority as her older sister, we were going to talk about it this and we were going to put this issue to rest once and for all. The Tsardom of Russia was not going to skip a beat because of issues between family members, especially not something as ridiculous and sinful as lesbian incest, The House Rurikovich will not be brought down by a scandal, especially not after my descendants worked so hard to rebuild our dynasty from being utterly destroyed and robbed from our positions as rulers of The Kievan Rus and forced to be minor Princes under The Tatar Yoke of The Mongol Empire to being the despotic rulers of The Third Rome, The Tsardom of Russia and the largest country in Europe, straddling the northern crossroads of Europe and Asia, the feudal messes of Europe to the west and the wide open steppe of Siberia and Central Asia. The Tsardom of Russia cannot be disturbed right now and, as Tsarina of Russia, I cannot be disturbed either, especially not now while we are at war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - we are close to victory, tantalizingly close, but that is even more reason for us to be careful, we cannot lose the progress we've made, we cannot lose an inch on the approach to Kiev, and we cannot lose an inch of Ruthenia now - a drop of morale will allow the Poles and the Lithuanians to keep fighting, even if they are outnumbered forty-to-one, we cannot let them happen; we must break the enemy and shatter their morale permanently, that's the difference between a short war and a grueling slugfest.

"Would it really be such a bad thing if it happened again?" Yelizaveta squeaked, it was barely louder than a whisper but I heard it, I heard every word of it and every word of it pierced through every belief I've ever developed in my life - I loved my little sister, I wanted nothing more than her to be happy, I'd find a way to move Heaven and Earth in order to make her happy, however, I always thought that incest was incredibly sinful, I always thought that incest was a bridge too far, even as I found out I was a lesbian thanks to Yelizaveta, and I always thought that I was a strong enough person to stick to my morals; but, if making my sister happy meant compromising my morals, what is the right thing to choose? I wish I had an answer, quite frankly, I wish that this wasn't a problem to begin with, but I don't have an answer and unfortunately, this is a problem - regardless of what happens in the end, regardless of what choice I end up making, I need to tell Yelizaveta that I do think it is such a bad thing right now...if nothing else, I had to be truthful to my little sister.

"Come on Yelizaveta, you know as well as I do that this can _neve__r_ happen again!" I raised my voice and I immediately regretted it - yelling at my sister won't help either of us, it will only lead to our ruin - I cannot kill these feelings by making Yelizaveta hate me, I still wanted her as my sister, I valued our sisterhood, I valued being able to come to terms with my homosexuality with her help, and I valued each and every member of my family, especially now that my father Tsar Aleksander I has died, I didn't want to lose that. I can't lose that...but I don't want to resort to incest to keep my family, that's just nonsense, this can't happen and Yelizaveta needs to learn that, quite frankly, I need to learn that as well, my feelings are just as awful and sinful, if not more awful and sinful, than those that Liz has - well I think so anyway, who knows what Liz has learned from reading that damned book about Tatiana and Yekaterina, that damned book that started all of this - though admittedly, I wanted to read more too, but maybe after that, I'll want to sin just as much as she did...maybe Liz isn't an incestuous sinner, maybe it's all the book's fault...I needed to get to the bottom of this in Moscow, but we needed to work something out until we got back home, there's only so much that I can do so far from Kolomenskoye and The Kremlin.

"Fine. Fine." Yelizaveta said with an extremely clipped tone as she got up and got dressed rapidly - she was fuming and she wanted to get out of this tent immediately- I got dressed as well, I don't think that I can use this tent for much longer, I'll get it replaced once this war is over, this tent is filled with tainted memories and horrid, horrid feelings that never should've seen the light of day - I might as well burn this tent, cleanse it in fire and hope that from the ashes Yelizaveta and I can rise up and both of us will find normal lesbian relationships that we can be happy with while the night in Minsk and this last night here in Kiev fade away into nothing but memories, memories that will never materialize again, but we'll live out our lives regardless, happy and free of incest, that is the future we need and the future we deserve - we can get through this, we must get through this, not just for me and not just for her, but for the both of us, we'll be happier living our lives in lesbian couples than we will living as incestuous lesbian.

"Where are you going?" I asked as Yelizaveta stormed out of a tent the second she was dressed, I finished getting dressed as quickly as I possibly could and followed her out, she didn't respond to my question - I didn't get my answer, instead, I watched as she stormed over to our wagons in a huff and locked herself in the royal carriage, the very same carriage that took us from Brest in Byelorussia to Kiev here in Ruthenia. I saw Yelizaveta and I know for a fact that she saw me, but she pretended that she didn't see me, she crossed her arms and she huffed, looking out the carriage windows, looking everywhere yet nowhere, the only thing that was certain is that she had too much pride to so much as glance at me. I sighed and looked out towards Kiev, I saw my troops rising up and preparing for battle while the Poles and the Lithuanians double down on their defenses, they knew that their chances, however low, were better if they kept their defenses as is and fought with the knowledge that us Russians were going to try and take advantage of any and all weaknesses in their lines than trying to build new defenses as we're charging at them, that would just turn into a chaotic bloodbath as Polish and Lithuanian commanders lost sight and lost control of their troops as Russian soldiers ponce on their enemy like a wolf pounces on an unknowing doe. We would fight through this regardless and we would make a breakthrough today, we would not stop until The Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine - the two Russian armies attached to this campaign - were united, because at that point, the combined strength of the two Russian armies will push through any and all remaining defenses, nothing shall stop us, not even the walls and the bastions of Kiev itself, The Tsardom of Russia shall win this war.

"Tsarina Anastasia," General Mikhailovich called, I turned to face the general "My commanders and I are ready, the mercenaries told us everything that they knew, the fighting will begin as soon as the Poles raise their war flags - I believe that we're in a position luxurious enough that we may fight this war like gentlemen...and ladies, of course; are you in agreement?"

General Mikhailovich was ready to fight, I wanted to accompany him and I wanted to learn more so that as this war dragged on, I could slowly begin taking command and, by the end of it, hopefully I'll be able to lead an army all on my own. I wanted to be Tsarina and to be the supreme commander of Russia's armies, I needed to command respected and I needed to be seen as a brave woman who is there with her troops, I needed to be brave so that my soldiers would need to be even braver in order to sound out. Now could be a perfect moment to become a dominant figure for The Russian Imperial Army and, beyond that, for the armies of Russia in general, but, on my left, I see Yelizaveta in the wagon, I need to talk to her in order to salvage some sort of relationship, the longer that Liz is left enraged in that wagon the worse our argument in the tent will seem to her, it will fester into a horrendous rage to the point where it won't even matter who was in the right and who was in the wrong, all that will matter is that we had a fight and she was angry at me - I couldn't let that happen. On my right was The Siege of Kiev and if I was involved in the inevitable breakthrough, I could win the support of my troops and I could become a glorious symbol of the Russian spirit - Anastasia, The Princess of The Resurrection who was born as the Poles and Lithuanians laid siege to Moscow herself grew up to become The Tsarina of Russia and was part of the reconquest of Kiev, bringing the fight to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and turning our biggest rival into nothing more than a subjugated protectorate within our sphere of influence, the truest and most Russian vengeance in modern history. My sister on one side, my army on the other, I know that as a Tsarina, I should focus on my army above all else - I said that I cannot let this drama with Yelizaveta interfere with my position as The Tsarina of Russia - but, on the other hand, I know that as a sister, I should run to Liz right now - I said that my family was to stick together now that my father Tsar Aleksander I is dead and gone, leaving only our grieving mother Maria Davidovna, our younger sister Sophie, and the two of us in our direct family. I promised myself that I was going to do both, but now I had to choose one and I knew in my heart which one I had to choose.

"Yes General Mikhailovich, I hope you can lead The Russian Imperial Army to victory today." I replied to the general as I started walking briskly towards the royal carriage that Yelizaveta has locked herself in, I was either going to get her out of there or I was going to join her inside, there would be no more negotiating, no more yelling, and no more putting it off until we're back at Kolomenskoye: we were going to deal with this and we would do it peacefully, there was no other way to deal with it, especially not with the emotional chaos that both of us are filled to the brim between the sisterly love, the sinful lust, the lingering grief over our father's death, excitement over seeing so many new places and being so close to victory over the Poles and the Lithuanians, and the impassioned anger and stubbornness left over from our argument in the tent - the conversation in the carriage wouldn't be easy, but I had to have it, we had to have it, I need Yelizaveta in my life and Yelizaveta needs me in her life.

"You're not coming?" General Mikhailovich asked as I kept moving - he seemed genuinely surprised by my seemingly spontaneous decision and I admit that if that argument had never happened and if Yelizaveta had never stormed out of our tent, I would gladly put on my armor and get onto my horse, joining the fighting outside of Kiev just like I had the day before, even getting knocked off my horse as blown up dirt rained down on me in a hellish storm of doom - that wasn't enough to keep me off the battlefield, but my sister was...she was my weakness, I honestly cannot say how much I'm willing to give up for my little sister and for my family, but I was certainly willing to give up personal glory and my future command of the Russian army, but how much more was I willing to give up? If the chance presented itself, would I choose my family over The Tsardom of Russia or the other way around?

"No General, I need to talk to my sister. Good luck." I answered simply as General Mikhailovich was left fuming, he wasn't happy but, quite frankly, that was the least of my worries, I needed to solve this drama with my sister once and for all. This will be better for the war as a whole, once this is dealt with, I'll be able to throw my full energy behind the war against the Poles and the Lithuanians rather than having my mind stretched in a billion different ways at once while I worried over my sister, my lust, and God knows what else. Therefore, I climbed onto Yelizaveta's carriage and I looked through the window, I saw that my little sister was pretending to ignore me but I knew her well enough that she was watching my every move, so I knocked on the carriage door three times and I patiently waited for Yelizaveta to open up, all the while The Siege of Kiev raged behind us.

* * *

Okie dokie everyone, this has been chapter six and we'll pick up from here with chapter seven in two weeks time, see you then! In the meantime, I'm sorry that it's just this chapter this week, I've been out of the house quite a bit this last week, but hopefully things will settle down a bit - I like this story and I like ASC over on fictionpress as well. Ciao!


	7. The March on Warsaw

In Tsarist Russia, chapter read you! I dunno, let's get on with it, Romans chapter seven! This will be an Anastasia chapter again and we'll pick up from where chapter six left off - we'll check up on Sultana-regent Helena of Gothia and her new Grand Vizier Fatimah bint Abdul next chapter as we return to The Ottomans, but for now, it's Russia and Russia is aiming for a big victory. Here we go!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter VII.

The March on Warsaw.

* * *

"What do you want?" an angry Yelizaveta asked as she let me into the carriage - she was mad but she let me in, I didn't know if that was because she wanted to work things out, if she appreciated the fact that I chose talking to her over attending to the troops, or if she knew that I was going to get in sooner rather than later so she decided not to bother fighting that battle, instead she's rather focus on the argument that she though was imminent - I wish I could say that Yelizaveta was wrong to expect an argument, but I know myself better than that, I know I'm not good enough for that, but I also know that I'll try my hardest to actually resolve things instead of arguing, arguing with my own sister now won't help either of us.

"I want you to be my sister." I answered, trying to stay calm - I wanted everything to go back to how they were before that night in Minsk, I was glad that my sister and I were both lesbians and I wanted both of us to find love, but that didn't mean that I wanted us to find love with each other...I don't think Yelizaveta wants that either, not really anyway, I think she's felt the same feelings as I have and I think that she doesn't know how to deal with it - I don't know either, not really anyway, but I should at least be helping her as much as I can. Oh my poor sister, she's dealing with the same awful and confusing feelings that I am and instead of helping her get through this, I'm trying to suppress my own feelings...I'm not being a very good big sister right now, I'm being selfish and ignorant and no wonder Yelizaveta stormed out of the tent. Liz is incredibly smart and she'll make a great Tsarina one day, but right now, she's sixteen and she's dealing with sexual feelings, not for the first time, but early enough that she can't quite deal with it - who can deal with incestuous feelings at sixteen? Who can deal with those feelings at eighteen for that matter? It's easy to say what Yelizaveta and I should do, it's easy to pass judgement, but it's a whole different thing to actually deal with those feelings, a whole different thing to live with them, and a whole different thing to try and maintain a regular relationship as sisters while both of us feel this way, especially since we both know that the other feels the same way.

I wish that I had the answers for these feelings, I wish that they would just go away, but so far, the best answer that the two of us have been able to come up with is that we'll wait until we're back at Kolomenskoye outside of Moscow to deal with these feelings, but at this point, both of us knew that this couldn't wait until we're back in Moscow, this had to be dealt with now. The war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would have to wait, The March on Warsaw would have to wait, and even The Siege of Kiev would have to wait, because neither of us could go on much longer without some sort of solution, at least a temporary solution, otherwise these damned feelings would get in the way of the war. I didn't know what was going to happen between myself and Liz going forward, I don't think she did either - I would prefer if we could keep things sisterly for now, I hope Yelizaveta agrees and I think that deep down she does, but I think she'll need a little bit of sisterly guidance to get there - but we had to stay professional, I was The Tsarina of Russia and she was Tsarevna, she was my heir and she was an Aleksandrovna just like I was and she needed to represent Russia just as much as I did, The Third Rome needed to be well known and well respected across the many, many, many countries than have been part of either The Roman Empire or The Byzantine Empire, they needed to know that a successor state has risen up and that the successor state will once again dominate the crossroads of Europe and Asia...albeit a bit farther to the north than our predecessors were. We all had our duties within the Russian court and those duties would only increase after this war, we can't let the lingering confusion and tension over these feelings interfere with our duties, that would be a disservice to The Tsardom of Russia which we have inherited.

"I want to be your sister too, I want things to be back to the way they were just as much as you do, but you're treating me like a freak - you're acting like the world would end if we kiss, I agree that it's gross but it's not my fault anymore than it is your fault!" Yelizaveta argued, she had a point, I was being harsh on her, I shouldn't have been, I was angry over my feelings and, unfortunately, I took it out on my sister. I'm not sure if there's a right way to react to incestuous feelings, but if there is a right way, this certainly isn't it, this is horribly wrong and, if my sister and I hadn't started talking it out now, my behavior could've left a permanent divide between us, leaving both of us miserable, angry, and loveless.

"You're not a freak, you're a beautiful, smart, incredibly young woman with the brightest future imaginable, I love you Yelizaveta, I just don't want to love you in _that_ way, we're sisters!" I replied, I cringed at the end after raising my voice, one because of what I said, two because I was once again being aggressive and belligerent when I should've been the calm, wise big sister figure for Liz - I wonder if she'd be any better at this if the situations were reversed, I think so anyway, after all, Liz is the one who helped me realize I was a lesbian to begin with, though no one could've predicted that the revelation would've sent the two of us down this road, the fact is we're here and we have to deal with it - hopefully my reply will have gotten to Yelizaveta, I meant it too, she's no freak, neither of us are freaks, we're just a pair of confused teenagers dealing with feelings beyond our comprehension while also juggling the weight of a war against our traditional enemies and ruling what is by far the largest country in Europe.

The tense silence fell over us after my remark, I think Yelizaveta was thinking over my remarks and I think that she still wanted to be mad but after what I said, she no longer had a reason to be mad - I didn't want to press the issue right now, I didn't want to get snappish and erase any progress that Yelizaveta and I have made together in this carriage, we would continue our conversation whenever she was ready, until then, I would wait here patiently - The Siege of Kiev would be won just fine without me, I left The Russian Imperial Army in the capable hands of General Mikhailovich and The Army of The Ukraine has been operating under the command of General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov since the beginning of this campaign, my armies were fine and I hope that they can breakthrough the Polish and Lithuanian defenses today so as to join the two armies together and shift focus on fighting to besieging, but right now, the only breakthrough I care about is breaking through with my sister and finding a way for this to work, a real solution, not just a bandage until we next back home, that wouldn't do it, we needed something substantive and ideally, something permanent.

"I love you too Anastasia," Yelizaveta eventually muttered following a sigh, she was willing to work with me to solve this, that's all I needed, I have had a very tumultuous time lately because of these damned feelings, I'm older but Liz honestly might know this situation better than I do because she's known her sexuality for longer and she's had that little relationship with the servant girl who gave her the book about Yekaterina and Tatiana, I'll help Yelizaveta get through this as best as I can, but I can't help but think that maybe the drama over these feelings would be easier if our roles were reversed. I didn't think that I was a very good sister to Yelizaveta or to Sofiya, I do think I've gotten a good start as The Tsarina of Russia however, so, if I have to surrender a little bit of the time and effort I could throw into Russia to help improve things with my sisters, then that's what I'll do - I'm sure that plenty of people will have an issue with that, but I don't care, the Tsardom is pointless without a family to rule it with me, my position is nothing if I can't groom a heir out of the family, and I am nothing if I can't surround myself with people who I love and people who love me, regardless of these sinful feelings, Yelizaveta and I love each other as sisters and that bond will be crucial to my life and hers, something to keep us human amongst all the war, stress, and difficult decisions involved in being the ruler of a country as large and as powerful as The Tsardom of Russia, our borders alone is a provocation to many, many powers throughout Europe as they seek to either regain land we've already taken or curb any attempts of Russian expansion into their territory - for instance, The Holy Roman Empire and Sweden won't take too kindly to Russia expanding west into Lithuanian land in Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia and they'll seek to block our expansion further, which is why I want to bring the remainder of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under Russian protection. The Poles will see my transition from war to love...a transition that, unfortunately, is painfully reminiscent of how things have been going with Yelizaveta as of late.

"Good, good," I came over and gave Yelizaveta a hug, a hug which she did return, even if I could sense a moment of hesitation due to her lingering reluctance - it wasn't perfect, but it was progress, it was a beginning, and from this beginning, hopefully we can build a foundation for our romantic lives - two separate romantic lives, but still intertwined, we'd still constantly see each other, we'd still be confidants for one another, and, most importantly, we'd still be sisters - the only difference will be that we'll have found a pair of women to be our loves and those women will help us forget all about these damned feelings we have for one another, these damned feelings that won't go away, not even during a war - Russian soldiers are risking their lives in my war just on the other side of the camp from here, yet I can't focus on it because my damn body and my damn mind both want something that I know I can't have, that I know I shouldn't have, and even now, even as Yelizaveta and I are making progress with each other, we still haven't done anything to dull these feelings and these overwhelming sensations, all we've done is return to the status quo after our last argument.

"What are we gonna do Nastya?" Yelizaveta asked, putting her head into her hands as it became clear that we're both in the same miserable boat of wanting the same nasty thing that both of us knew we couldn't have - if things were different, if we weren't related, if we were cousins or something more distant, or if we were at least half-siblings or step-siblings or something other than fully related, perhaps something could come of this, perhaps a relationship would be the recipe for getting out of this miserable rut, but we are related, we're full blood sisters, and we can't let this turn into a relationship, that's a line too great for us to cross - if you ask The Russian Orthodox Church or the Russian court, they'll say that homosexuality to begin with a step too far, even for the Tsarina herself, granted, Liz and I will be keeping our sexuality a secret, but if we were found out, a homosexual relationship would be less damaging than a homosexual incestuous relationship, hell, an incestuous relationship would be less damaging than a homosexual incestuous relationship, so even if we wanted this, this wouldn't be sustainable, it simply cannot happen and we need to get past it...but Liz has a point, what are we gonna do?

"I wish I had an answer Yelizaveta, but I don't know either - I wish I could help you through this, but right now, I can't even help myself...I'm not really good at being a big sister I have to admit." I looked down at the floor of the carriage out of shame for my own stupidity - I came here to talk to Yelizaveta and resolve this but I had no real solutions to offer, all I've managed to do is get back to square one, I've erased the backwards steps we took this morning but I have no way of moving forward, not right now anyway. I had to at least find a way to take the edge off of these feelings for both myself and Yelizaveta to keep us from doing something irreversible before we return to Moscow, we needed something to keep us sane, we needed something to keep us off of each other as we need to focus on this war with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. These sinful, lustful urges were only getting strong and it was ravaging both of us, I needed to provide a solution but I had nothing right now, I had one job here in this carriage and I couldn't even do that - I was pathetic, what was I doing throwing Russia into a war when I couldn't even sort out my own sexual feelings? Maybe I should stay off the front lines for good and leave my armies to Mikhailovich, Perevernykruchenko, and Feodorov, there's no way that I would be able to make good battlefield decisions if I couldn't even be trusted not to lust after my little sister, how could I even be sure that it was the right call to declare war on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth rather than The Ottomans?

The Ottomans had their first regency in so long and they were weak, everyone expected us to attack them, everyone expected it to be a crushing blown and for us to take Crimea as well as push the Turks out of their new Caucasian territories gained from the Persians, instead, we chose to take the Poles and the Lithuanians off their guard and retake the traditional Russian heartlands in Byelorussia and Ruthenia, as well as gaining access to The Black Sea through Zaporizhia, thus far, this has been going well and Kiev is doomed to fall, but with Sigismund Augustus II dead, who knows who The Sejm will elect as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, we'll be marching on Warsaw against an enemy we don't know in command of a Polish and Lithuanian army intent on pushing us back, they refuse to lose another inch of ground to our Russian soldiers and they know what the implications of such a massive victory could be - obviously the Poles and the Lithuanians wanted their country to remain strong and independent, though obviously that doesn't suit our interests, we want a massive amount of their land and we're robbing Poland and Lithuania of their eastern buffer zone, meaning that, should The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth go to war with The Tsardom of Russia again, every single drop of blood will be on Polish and Lithuanian land, that part was good, but what wasn't good is that we've lost men, we've gained land and thus we now have to stretch our forces thinner, and we've exposed our tactics to any foreign observers watching this war - we've shown our hand to the Turk and we've potentially squandered a great opportunity, regency or not, The Ottoman Empire may now be too strong and too informed for us to get as decisive a victory as we want - the Turks will not be happy about losing their dominance of the northern Black Sea along with Crimea and they will not be happy about losing their new frontier south of the Caucasus, but we're allied with Georgia and we do not want our ally to share a border with a country as dangerous as The Ottoman Empire. The situation in the south is complex and more important than this glory war in the west with the Poles and the Lithuanians, but at this point, I didn't think that I could handle either situation, in fact, I don't think that I can handle most things at this point, not war, not geopolitics, and certainly not my feelings for Yelizaveta.

"Oh Nastya, you're a great sister, no one would know how to deal with this." Yelizaveta replied, trying to cheer me up, she put her hand on my shoulder and got me to look up, looking her in the eyes, I took a deep breath as I thought that a rush of terrible feelings would come over me, but it didn't, the lust and the passion kept quiet, I didn't see someone who I wanted to have sex with, I just saw my little sister trying to cheer me up, the feelings were still there, but right now, they were on the fringes, they could be suppressed for now, we were sisters now, we could forget all about these awful feelings for a moment and remember all the good times, all the moments we spent with little Sophie and our mother, the rare times that our father Tsar Aleksander I could return to Kolomenskoye and relax with us, and even that recent moment we had on that couch when I learned that Yelizaveta was a lesbian and she put me on the path towards realizing my own sexuality, and we started reading that book about Yekaterina and Tatiana - sure that event on the couch sent us down this path towards feeling these feelings, but that didn't matter, I was proud that I was a lesbian, Liz was proud that she was a lesbian, and we would both find love once we returned to Moscow, but right now, I was enjoying this little sisterly moment we shared in the carriage.

"Thank you," I replied, quietly as hot tears began to flow down my face, I was sad because we were still in this mess, I was angry at myself for having these damned feelings, and I was incredibly happy that, despite all this, Liz and I could still be sisters. Given this cacophony of emotions and the encroaching lustful feelings sneaking back into my brain, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore, I couldn't stay composed, I had to cry. I woke up wrapped in my sister again, a feeling that was so good but I knew that it was so bad, we then had an argument, and then I had to blow off my troops to try and fix things with my sister, but here I am, sitting in a carriage wondering if I can lead troops or fix things to begin with, perhaps I walked myself into a situation where I'll fail either way, yet despite the fact I haven't succeeded at anything quite yet, here was my sweet little sister making me feel better, here she was letting me cry, and here she was, no longer mad at me, I had at very least gotten out of the mess that was this morning.

"You're welcome," Yelizaveta smiled and pulled me over to her side of the carriage, we sat close now and I cried into her shoulder, all the while my little sister gently brushed my long blonde hair and reminded me that we're both human. I was only eighteen years old and here I was, marching with my army all the way to Kiev on a war that I was now having second thoughts about, especially when it comes to the fact that The Ottomans are always a threat, always waiting for the chance to strike and to expand, preferably at the expense of their strongest enemies, all of that was a lot of stress to put on the shoulders of a teenager, especially when factoring in all the other crap that I'm dealing with in my personal life, I needed a release, and crying on Liz's shoulder, that helped. I cried until there were no tears left and Liz made no effort to stop me, I cried until I forgot all about The Ottoman Empire and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I cried until I didn't care about last night or that night in Minsk anymore. At the end, my eyes were left dry, I felt better, and I leaned against Yelizaveta in the carriage - neither of us really wanted to talk about those damned feelings anymore but neither of us wanted leave either, so we just leaned on one another on the bench seat of our carriage. I felt warm and comfortable next to Liz and I'm sure that she felt the same way, we weren't hurting anyone this way, we weren't doing anything sexual either, we weren't a couple, we were sisters - this made me feel a little bit better about the way we woke up, yes that's unambiguously too intimate for sisters, but we weren't hurting anyone and we weren't crossing a line. This wasn't good, but maybe our best option was to just live with it, if we're going to wake up in an intimate cuddle, we'll wake up in an intimate cuddle, fighting this is only stressing us out and perhaps this isn't a battle worth fighting, perhaps the solution here is just to go along with what our bodies want - within reason - until we return to Kolomenskoye.

"What if we just let it happen?" I eventually asked Yelizaveta, vocalizing my thoughts but not really getting up from where I was, I was too comfortable here and I wasn't quite ready to move, though there was a bit of a downside in that I couldn't see Liz's reaction, though I could feel her body and I didn't feel her recoiling, tensing up, or pushing me away, so, if nothing else, Liz was considering it as well - that was progress if nothing else.

"You mean the way we woke up?" Liz asked, just making sure that we were on the same page. I recognized that for Liz, this seemed like a big leap for me considering that I was yelling at her about it this morning when she suggested that this happening again wouldn't be such a bad thing, but I've been through the emotional ringer this morning and at this point, I was a little too tired to keep resisting each and every impulse, we'll let a few of them through and then we'll head back to Moscow after this war is over, it'll be a game of moderation and, in the end, both of our lives will improve.

"Yes, like you said, would it really be such a bad thing?" I sat up now, looking Liz in the eyes to show that I was serious, there was no other solution that I could think of, we'll let ourselves cuddle in our sleep to take the edge off before we lose control and do something that's actually incestuous - we'll let ourselves be sensual with one another, that way we can avoid being sexual with one another.

"So, when it's my idea it's bad, but when it's your idea, it's great?" Yelizaveta joked and that erased the tension in the carriage, we would be alright, we weren't arguing more, we made progress. We sat together and we laughed for perhaps another hour, relaxing and letting the stress die, however, I knew that I eventually had to leave this carriage and check up on my troops, General Mikhailovich was angry enough that I didn't join him in the morning, I'd hate to see how he'd react if I was gone all day, it didn't matter if this war was the right call or not at this point because we were at war and we now had to win it, we could deal with The Ottomans later, right now, I'm just glad that things with my sister seem to have worked out. Now I can finally focus on winning The Siege of Kiev and, beyond that, winning the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

* * *

When I finally left the carriage, I got on my horse and road towards the front lines with Yelizaveta sitting on the horse behind me - I was going to let her be with me on the front lines, it was no more dangerous for her than it was for me so I'll bring her along, at this point, she's the only one that's giving me any confidence to press on with this war, after this morning, I can't really trust myself to accomplish much of anything, especially not a war and especially not a war that's probably being fought against the wrong country - yes we gain a lot of Russia's historic land - including Kiev - back, but in the process, we may have squandered the chance of hitting The Ottomans hard while they're weakened by a regency - I thought for sure that the Turks would be weak for a long, long time due to this regency, but I also thought that I would never want to have sex with my little sister, so my judgement isn't the best.

As we road towards the front lines however, we only came across splintered palisades and mass graves of Poles and Russians alike - it seems that General Mikhailovich had made significant progress while I spent the day with Liz in the wagon, in fact, it seems that he not only pushed his way to uniting with the forces of General Perevernykruchenko and General Feodorov and, together, they all pushed their way to the walls of Kiev where they were laying siege - impressive progress, though I should have been there to see some of it. I chose my sister over the war and I'll make that same decision again and again and again, but I know that I should've been with the armies when they made the big push to unite together and then to join forces and reach Kiev itself. I patched things up with Yelizaveta and we seem to have found a way to function, at least until we get back to Moscow - which isn't what either of us wanted out of the private time we spent in the carriage but at least it's something, a temporary solution is better than nothing - but it seems that in doing so, I may have isolated myself from my armies, will The Russian Imperial Army forgive me abandoning them for something as seemingly trivial as talking to my sister? I doubted my ability to give orders to these men and now I was doubting if they would follow any orders I gave, even if I made perfect calls.

It quickly became apparent that the soldiers had made it much, much farther than I expected as, when we approached the walls, we saw the last few soldiers gathering their cannons and supplies and preparing to move from Kiev to our next destination. Liz and I got off of our horse and we entered Kiev through massive hole blown into the wall - I thought I heard a particularly loud bang in the carriage at one point but our cannons had been blasting the Poles and the Lithuanians all day and I had spent enough time on the battlefield to identify the sounds of the explosions - in fact, I wasn't sure if that was a skill that people could develop to begin with, but the explosion just seemed loud to me, nothing else was distinct about it, but, with what I see now, it must have been the explosion that blew this part of the wall open. Yelizaveta and I entered Kiev and we walked to the castle in the heart of the city where our generals would be. We passed many soldiers on our way to the castle but not a single one decided to escort us to the castle, all of them stood their ground away from us - they weren't happy about me being absent for The Siege of Kiev at all, it would've been different if I had remained in Moscow to begin with, then the soldiers would've accepted that I'm just not a ruler that rules from the battlefield, but the fact that I was with the army the whole way through until today and the fact that I slowly but surely started learning more and more about commanding troops must have given my soldiers the impression that I was going to be here all the way through, me not being there for their big moment, for their push to and in fact, into Kiev itself, that hurt them, that hurt like a child whose mother missed their biggest accomplishment. The must have thought me an indecisive coward at this point, I wish that I could explain the situation to them, but homosexuality was far from tolerated in a country as religious as Tsarist Russia, nor would most of the soldiers accept my reasons to begin with - I'm sure plenty of them had to leave lovers and family at home because of their commitments to Russia - if they had to do that, of course they wouldn't take too kindly to me abandoning the battle for my sister. I wasn't going to convince the soldiers that what I did here was the right thing, but I'd have to win them over in the future, there was no going back now.

The people of Kiev seemed almost indifferent about the occupation, for every happy Orthodox Slav, there was an upset Polish, Lithuanian, or German settler, the majority of the population, whether Ruthenian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, German, or Jewish, was apathetic - I didn't exactly blame them, right now, the city is just occupied, it won't become part of The Tsardom of Russia until a treaty is signed, even then, they'll still be quite apathetic, the only change is that they're being taxed by Moscow rather than Warsaw, Kiev changing hands would certainly be a cultural win for Russia and pushing west would be critical in the future as we intend to establish ourselves as a westernized, European power, and, eventually, the breadbasket that is Ruthenia and Byelorussia will provide the Tsardom with a lot more food and a lot more men, but in the short term, nothing's really going to change, we'll just have more land to protect as we set up new administrations and institutions in the massive new region we conquered, it will be a few years before these Polish and Lithuanian territories truly see a difference due to being a part of Russia, but I am certain that this annexation will benefit both the territories and the Tsardom soon enough. The first benefit won't involve Kiev at all, instead, the first benefit will be a port on The Black Sea in the form of Ochakiv, between Ochakiv and our ports in what was once Circassia, we'll be able to build up a Black Sea fleet that will be able to challenge Ottoman dominance over the sea and support our armies as they move to conquer Crimea and push The Ottoman Empire away from The Caucasus Mountains. Ochakiv is an actual port, which is significantly better than what we currently have along the eastern Black Sea - much of southern Russia is undeveloped due to the fact that these were the lands conquered directly by the Mongols and their Tatar successors, therefore, they're not much more than loosely tamed steppe populated by our Cossacks. I'll use the riches of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to fund the settlement and development of southern Russia in addition to my plans for Moscow, I'll extend this policy to Crimea and any other Steppe territories we conquer, though the peninsula itself is settled due to the Greek settlements in Theodoro, but much of the land surrounding the peninsula was under the control of The Crimean Horde, one of the Tatar states that emerged from the collapse of The Golden Horde, the Mongol successor state in Russia. The Tsardom of Russia is powerful, but it is nowhere near its full potential, I intend for my reign to be the beginning of a new golden age for Russia, we must be more developed, we cannot have such a disparity between the core lands of The Grand Principality of Muscovy and the rest of The Tsardom of Russia, we must ensure that every region is modernized, developed, and settled by Russians until we make up at least a plurality in every part of our Tsardom, only then will this Roman Empire last longer than the previous two.

It was easy to come up with ideas for Russia, I was good at that, but actually executing those ideas would be a lot harder, I really need to get better at leading my country, that includes leading my armies, that includes demanding respect from my generals and my nobility, and that includes making my ambitious ideas a reality. I chose my sister over the Tsardom today and I'll continue making that choice because family is crucial, but second to my family is the Tsardom and I must ensure that I make up for every time I miss out on ruling my country because of my family - I wasn't there for the critical moment of The Siege of Kiev, but I would have to be there for The March on Warsaw, I had to see how The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth reacts to all we've accomplished in Byelorussia and Ruthenia, including the death of King Sigismund Augustus II, they'll have to respond to The March on Warsaw and they'll need a big response to make up for all their failures and all the ground they've lost, especially considering that it will be both The Army of The Ukraine and The Russian Imperial Army marching through Galicia into the Polish heartlands and we can force them to surrender by taking Warsaw. This can be the beginning of my rise to greatness if I can pull it off, but I'll need to do a hell of a lot better than I have been doing lately with the war and with Yelizaveta, I need strong decisions and I need those decisions to be the right ones, this war has been going so well so far, it's been an utter humiliation upon the Poles and the Lithuanians, we can't let all that be for nothing by letting The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth push us back and turn this quick and devastating war into a brutal stalemate - if the Poles and the Lithuanians beat us once, they'll keep fighting and fighting because all the need is one victory to know that they can get more, which is why we need to be merciless in striking Warsaw itself, we need to go undefeated in this war and we need to leave our enemies thinking that the only options are to either surrender or to watch Warsaw, Krakow, Vilnius, and many, many more of their cities go up in flames - surrender or devastation, the Poles cannot have any other options, even if we do beat them, anything less than a total victory will make it hard to demand more than half of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's land - granted, we could ask for less land, but if we were potentially making a massive misstep by waging war with Poland instead of hitting The Ottomans while they were weak, we need to take all that we can get, if this is the wrong call, we need to cut our losses as much as possible and prevent us from facing the Turks in less than optimal circumstances.

Less than optimal circumstances described a lot of things in my life right now, yes I was glad that Yelizaveta and I now have a working relationship once again, but given that we spent a day together in that carriage and the best thing that we've managed to accomplish is letting ourselves cuddling together in our sleep in hopes that it will calm us down enough to keep out of each other's pants, which is far from the best solution and, in doing so, I missed out on our crucial breakthrough during The Siege of Kiev and I missed out on our two armies breaching the fortified city shortly after, that is no way to win over the troops and it is why the soldiers are openly showing how unimpressed they are with myself and Yelizaveta, as far as they're concerned, it's all or nothing, if we're going to miss a day on the battlefield, a day that turned out to be the most important day of The Siege of Kiev and in this war so far, we might as well not be here to begin with - why should they bother protecting us and moving more food, more supplies, and more carriages for us if we won't even be with them on the battlefield as promised? I admit that I should've been there with the troops, but I stand by my decision - if only things were different, if only there was a way that I could've talked to Yelizaveta and been there on the front lines, but for all the power I have as Tsarina of Russia, I can't do that. I suppose that I wouldn't have had to miss today's events if that argument between myself and Liz this morning never happened to begin with - it's true, I do need to work on improving my personal life and my relationship with Liz if I hope to be able to throw my full focus behind the war and, beyond that, to whatever The Tsardom of Russia requires of me - I'm far from perfect, but at least I'm learning about my flaws and, soon enough, I'll be able to become a better woman, a better Tsarina, and, most importantly, a better sister.

In any case, Yelizaveta and I finally reached the castle in the heart of Kiev - it wasn't the newest structure and it wasn't an effective fortification anymore, hence Kiev's walls have been built far away from this castle, though, admittedly, those walls weren't much better - I would definitely have to give Kiev a better royal residence than this, Kiev deserved a palace even if it wasn't going to be the capital, that would give our Tsardom much more legitimacy as the successor state of The Kievan Rus by awarding historically significant cities special privileges - Kiev as the former capital, Novgorod as a major trade city, the capital of The Grand Principality of Muscovy's biggest rival in the form of The Grand Republic of Novgorod, and as the first capital of Rurik, the progenitor of The House Rurikovich, and Kazan, a major city with The Golden Horde and the capital of a later successor Horde, as well as one of the largest and most important cities east of Moscow - as we expand more and more, these privileges could be granted to other important cities such as Minsk and Yekaterinburg, Minsk can serve as a center of Byelorussian culture and a starting point for expansion into Poland and Lithuania should they refuse our protection, while Yekaterinburg is our gateway to Siberia and developing it will allow us to expand our reach by offering our government with a city with which we can manage affairs beyond The Ural Mountains rather than just a collection of outposts - outposts are good for expanding our frontier, but we'll need true cities and true settlements to really expand our country eastward, Yekaterinburg will serve as the first of these such cities, but it certainly won't be the last.

We entered the castle and walked until we found the room where the generals were. The generals were huddled around a table and focused on their maps and they initially didn't notice us as we entered, we remained quiet as we walked up and joined the generals around the table - I was expecting a cool reception from the generals, especially Mikhailovich, to begin with and I was sure that interrupting this meeting so rudely would only hurt me trying to get back to my place as one of the commanders of Russia's armies. Now, as The Tsarina of Russia, I could just use my authority to muscle my way back into power over our armies, but that would only make Mikhailovich, Feodorov, and Perevernykruchenko more angry at me - the generals wanted me to either fully involve myself in the war or to get out of there way, they weren't happy with what they saw as a partial commitment and they did have a point, from a pragmatic perspective, I should've chosen The Siege of Kiev over Yelizaveta, but I don't think from a purely pragmatic perspective, no one does. I wish I could've been there for the breakthrough, but I chose my sister instead and there's no going back now, no matter how mad my generals are at me. Speaking of my generals, as we reached the table, the finally noticed us, all three of them wore looks that revealed that they were clearly unimpressed with us. General Perevernykruchenko looked disappointed, he was with the nobles that arrived in Kolomenskoye and it seems that he expected more from me, General Feodorov looked impatient, he was with The Army of The Ukraine and he didn't know me very well, he just wanted all this drama to blow over so that we could all get back to the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, quite frankly, I agreed with him, I just wanted this whole Kiev sage to be over with, however, there was one person who couldn't be farther from that view - General Mikhailovich. Mikhailovich was livid, he and I worked most closely during this war as commanders of The Russian Imperial Army, the general was led to expect that I would learn from him quickly and then become a general in my own right, leaving him with half an army to command just like Feodorov and Perevernykruchenko had, but today, I wasn't at the battlefield and he had to command the army all on his own, not only that, but he seemed to do a hell of a lot better without me, all in all, as far as Mikhailovich was concerned, I left him in charge of an army and the only person I left to help him was myself and, the way this war has gone, I've come across as either a liability or not there - this was a really harsh view and I felt that I was making real progress until I was preoccupied with something far more important than any war, but I understood where Mikhailovich was coming from, even if he was somewhat blinded by his own rage.

"Well, you finally decided to show up and with her, the extra mouth to feed without a single benefit." General Mikhailovich spat, showing absolutely no respect for the fact that I was The Tsarina of Russia and, even worse, he was being incredibly rude to my sister the Tsarevna as well. My sister admittedly was another mouth to feed, that I cannot deny, but she's minimizing her impact as much as possible, she doesn't even have her own tent and it's not like Byelorussia and Ruthenia are lacking in food, as for her not having any benefit, that's downright false, first of all, she was the one who suggested this compromise plan to begin with, second of all, she provided me with the emotional support I need to keep pushing on - yes she's the cause of the sexual turmoil I've been through as of late, but in our meeting in the carriage, she did her best to help me out of that mess, not to mention the fact that I can hardly blame these feelings on her, and, third of all, what does he honestly expect Yelizaveta to do? Liz is sixteen years old and she has even less experience with war than I do, so if he's going to consider me a liability, then what could he possibly expect my younger sister to do? Rage was one thing, but disrespect and rudeness was another, I don't like to throw around my position with these generals too much, but, after that, Mikhailovich is asking for it.

"Mikhailovich!" Perevernykruchenko shouted, despite all that happened and despite the fact that he couldn't hide his disappointment, the general who I entrusted with our Cossacks was still on my side "Look, I'm not happy about what happened either, but what is in the past is in the past, we've taken Kiev and now it's time for The March on Warsaw, I am ready for it, my Cossacks are ready, the Zaporizhians are ready, and The Army of The Ukraine is ready, so, the only question is, are the rest of you ready?"

"I've been ready," General Feodorov replied and he pledged his support for The March on Warsaw, though not without taking the opportunity to once again display his low opinion of his fellow general Perevernykruchenko "The sensible elements of The Army of The Ukraine are committed for the march, we've fought this war from the beginning, unlike some of your volunteers Vladimir, and we'll fight this war until the end."

"I know that you all may not believe me after all that's happened today, but I'm committed to this war and I'm ready to keep fighting, I can promise you that." I meant every word that I said to my generals, I wasn't certain that I could ever be a proper commander for Russia, I wasn't sure that I could even be a proper Tsarina away from the battlefield, however, I had a - admittedly imperfect - solution for my feelings about my sister, even if I knew very well that trying to take the edge off these feelings by letting our bodies have a little bit of what the want may backfire spectacularly, putting Yelizaveta and I in a situation that we could never come back from, but I had something, and that meant that I could focus on the war. I was committed and I would be right up on the front lines along with my soldiers in The Russian Imperial Army, however, I couldn't do this alone, I wasn't able to lead troops and I had a lot left to learn, so, if my teacher had to be a disrespectful general who was angry with me, well, then that would be me teacher, I just needed to get him to agree to teach me how to be a general. I had to be honest with General Mikhailovich to win him over and I knew that he was in no mood for royal protocol, therefore, just this once, I was willing to throw all that out the window with the general, so, I began with a much more personal greeting "Look Dmitri, I know that I abandoned the troops today, I admit that, I chose my family over the war and I missed the pivotal moments of The Siege of Kiev - I don't expect that to exonerate myself in your eyes, but I do hope that, one day, you'll at least see that what I did today was not out of cowardice, it was out a devotion for something great than any war. However, I declared war on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and we need to finish this war, therefore, tomorrow morning, I will rise to the occasion and take the reigns of The Russian Imperial Army, but you and I both know that I can't do this alone - I ask you to be there with me, to teach me how to lead troops and to help me win this war - so, General Mikhailovich, will you be at my side tomorrow morning?"

"Well..." Mikhailovich sighed, the sigh was not a sigh of contemplation, it was him reluctantly letting go of his anger to join the final stage of this war - he wasn't going to let a chance for so much glory and so much recognition within The Tsardom of Russia slip away, he was going to finish this war, even if he had to do it with me "The March on Warsaw was my plan to begin with, of course I'm in, but don't think that I've forgotten about what happened today, my Tsarina, I have a long memory and so do my soldiers."

Well, not everything was perfect and I don't think that any of us were one hundred percent happy with how the meeting in the castle went - just like my meeting in the carriage with Yelizaveta today, we seemed to have made progress, but we haven't really concretely solved anything, Mikhailovich is still angry with me, Perevernykruchenko is still disappointed with me, and we still have a war to finish, but at very least, all four of us would be there for The March on Warsaw - no, all five of us, Yelizaveta would be with me for this final stage of this war and, with Liz at my side, maybe I could finally become the Tsarina and the commander that my soldiers need me to be, her presence would certainly help me. All of this would wait until tomorrow morning however, because today, today we've won The Siege of Kiev and we were going to let our soldiers rest and celebrate their victory, celebrate the fact that the historic capital of the Russian people was now, once again, in Russian hands, a great accomplishment and a great way to start the final stage of this war.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine marched side by side under the command of myself and my three generals as we left Kiev for the long march to Warsaw - The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a very large country at this stage but, after this war, we'd cut them back to side, making the titanic Tsardom of Russia even larger, even stronger, and even closer to the west. Russia was powerful but the Europeans treated as as a fringe power at best, hopefully this victory will change their tune, hopefully seeing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Catholic buffer between Catholic Europe and Orthodox Russia along with the Islamic Ottomans will make the likes of France and The Holy Roman Empire take us seriously, the beginning of our recognition as the true heirs to The Roman Empire, these two will know us as The Third Rome, these two along with all of the other European powers, especially any and all powers who claim descent from Rome, we will show them who the true heir is, it certainly isn't the German abomination that is The Holy Roman Empire and it certainly isn't the invader that is The Ottoman Empire, no, it is Moscow, the new center of Orthodox civilization.

We were unmatched on the first day as we marched out of Ruthenia and into Galicia, however, interesting news reached us from Warsaw, the Poles had elected their new King. Given that we were at war, most of us expected that the Poles would elect a hardened general to be their ruler, perhaps Poland would be more ambitious and offer the crown to a foreign ruler should that ruler throw their forces into the war, or Poland would opt for consistency and stability and elect yet another King from the Catholic Wasa branch of the Protestant Swedish Vasa dynasty, instead, Poland opted to roll the dice with something that no one could have expected, they elected a Prussian - Prussia has been a part of The Kingdom of Poland ever since the Poles and the Lithuanians conquered the state of The Teutonic Order after decades of struggles between the German Teutons and the local Polish and Lithuanian powers, these tensions have stood strong ever since, however, the highly militarized German nobility may be Poland's best hope. Therefore, Johann von Konigsberg has taken the Polish throne as King Jan II, he will also be crowned as Grand Duke of Lithuania as all elected Polish Kings have been for nearly two centuries now. Now that we were up against a Prussian, we knew that we would be facing a the best army that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth could muster using the most modern German tactics available, fresh from the wars between Protestants and Catholics in Germany - he'll be hard to beat on the battlefield, but we'll be even harder to beat, we are not going to lose this war, it doesn't matter if Poland is ruled by a Pole, a Prussian, or the damned King of France, we will win this war.

Therefore, we marched on and on, tearing through the defenses of Lvov and burning the Galician city to the ground - we were no longer fighting on land that would become part of Russia, therefore, we let loose, our cannons let loose, and, most devastating, our Cossacks let loose, we waged a brutal and total war all the way through Galicia and into Poland itself, facing virtually no resistance as we smashed our enemies into the ground, however, as we approached Krakow, the former Polish capital, things slowed significantly. Medieval Polish castles were being used to pelt us with cannons, therefore, we had to return artillery fire and raid castle after castle, these castles were built to protect Poland after the Mongols raided deep into their territory and forced the Kingdom to pay tribute, but now, they were being reduced to rubble by our Russian forces, the Mongols were no more, and now, in this age of modern artillery, castles were little more than massive targets, therefore, they crumbled one by one, but with every one we took down, we seemed to find more and more and more, however, as days turned into weeks, each and every castle crumbled under the unstoppable weight of The Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine, two mighty, mighty armies and two armies that Poland surely couldn't match. Krakow certainly couldn't stop us as the city eventually crumbled as well, allowing our soldiers to loot to their heart's content, all the while the riches pooled at our feet, I could practically see this gold turning into my new palace and my new district of Moscow, and this was before we even looted Warsaw and demanded concessions from the Poles and Lithuanians.

On our way to Warsaw, however, we finally encountered the army of Jan II von Konigsberg. On a plain between Krakow and Warsaw our armies finally met, we began the battle with an exchange of cannon fire, as all battles begin nowadays - the Poles and the Lithuanians were outnumbered, they had more soldiers than either of our armies individually, but, unfortunately for them, they were up against both The Russian Imperial Army and The Army of The Ukraine, we had the advantage in numbers, we had the advantage in technology, and hopefully we'd have the advantage in tactics. The four of us lined up our horses together and watched the battle begin, General Perevernykruchenko on the outside left, eager to watch his Cossacks and cavalry flank the Polish infantry, just inside of him sat General Feodorov, ready to shepherd his infantrymen into battle, General Mikhailovich sat just to the right of Feodorov, The March on Warsaw was his plan and he was ready to assert his glory, even if he was still angry with me over what happened in Kiev. I sat on the outside right, The Tsarina of Russia and a proud Rurikovich, ready to finish the wars between Russia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth once and for all.

We traded cannon fire a few more times before our armies began marching forward, Russians in pike and shot squares which favored the shot and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth still favoring the pike, however, even I could see that the Prussian King of Poland has ensured that the troops were much more unified, much more disciplined, and much better armed than they had been before - they're still lacking but not nearly as much, all the while, at the edges of the battlefield, a huge amount of Polish Winged Hussars await, reinforced by lighter and faster cavalry, now, we had plenty of Cossacks and plenty of heavier cavalry with which to respond, though it seemed that both of us were content to let this battle begin with our infantry. Polish shots struck Russian bodies and Russian shots struck Polish bodies as our infantrymen reached their effective distance, though the Poles kept pressing forward - they had more pikemen than shooters and they knew that they had to close up against us to prevent us from taking advantage of our greater number of shooters. Now, the gentlemanly thing would be to let the lines close together and let the battle run its course, depending on our greater numbers to win this battle by sheer force, however, we still had to lay siege to Warsaw and we couldn't afford to be down more men than we were comfortable with, so why not have our soldiers back away from the Poles and shoot at them? Already in The Holy Roman Empire the warring states are moving away from up close fighting and taking advantage of the greater distance offered by guns? War didn't have to be gentlemanly and I certainly wasn't a gentleman, I was a lady and I would fight however I need to in order to win this war and, beyond that, to win this war against The Ottomans. I wasn't sure about my abilities as a commander and I didn't have too much faith in my judgement calls, but considering that we've got the Poles and Lithuanians outnumbered and outmatched, perhaps this is the safest opportunity I'll have to test out my judgement calls.

"We should have our soldiers back up, the Poles have pikes and they know that they're more dangerous up close, why should we let them have that advantage?" I proposed to my generals and they began to ponder it, General Perevernykruchenko shrugged, he was more focused on his pet project with the Cossacks than on the infantry battle, even if much of the infantry of The Army of The Ukraine was nominally under his command, Feodorov contemplated it for awhile but he eventually agreed, it wasn't the most honorable tactic, but honor doesn't carry nearly as much weight nowadays as it in The Middle Ages, now, it's all about results and Feodorov recognizes that this could get us results, therefore, out of the three infantry generals, we already had two in favor of this move, therefore, we could justify doing it regardless of what General Mikhailovich had to say, however, after all that we've been through, I don't want to give the order without at least hearing what he had to say. Mikhailovich took a good, long while to think about it before he finally took a deep sigh and nodded, he didn't want to think that I had a good idea, but he couldn't see a flaw in the plan, therefore, he had to give it the go ahead. Perevernykruchenko saw himself as more of a cavalry general at this point and both of the remaining generals supported my plan, therefore, I was filled with a certain confidence now, I felt like I was making up for not being there during The Siege of Kiev as I gave the order for our men to back up and then keep a gap between themselves and the Poles and Lithuanians in order to take advantage of our greater ranged capabilities - the Poles had a technological advantage and, to hell with chivalry, we see a chance to exploit an enemy weakness and we're going to take it, regardless of whether or not it comes across as cowardly or unfair.

Our men backed up with shocking speed but shockingly they kept firing and they kept their accuracy very, very high - well, very, very high by the standards of modern firearms anyway - the Poles and the Lithuanians were completely caught off guard and they took heavy, heavy casualties for the next few moments before they composed themselves and started moving forward, practically running to catch back up with our lines, obviously, at that speed the Poles and Lithuanians couldn't use their pikes or their guns, but our forces could and this infantry battle turned very, very lopsided. General Perevernykruchenko decided that enough was enough and he gave his Cossacks and cavalry the order to charge the disorganized and shocked Poles and Lithuanian lines. Our horsemen were unleashed on this plain and they were ready to hit the Polish flanks hard and fast, however, as our horsemen made their way over to the infantry battle, the Polish Winged Hussars arrived with incredible speed to intercept them, preventing our cavalry from taking advantage of the situation - it was yet another setback in this war, but again, we could find a solution, as I stared down at the many, many cannons ahead of me, I think I figured out what we can do. Our armies were used to fighting in two groups, they were two separate armies after all, but the Poles and Lithuanians weren't used to that, they had one army, we could pull back our cavalry, let our cannons take care of the Polish Hussars just like they did at Borisov, then, our infantry could separate itself into its two armies once again, pushing at our enemies with a V-formation, but, at the bottom of the V, we leave an open gap, into the back, our cavalry could charge into the wedge formation that we'd force the Poles and Lithuanians into, tearing their lines apart and winning this battle.

The generals let me try this, if for no other reason than to get our cavalry out of that mess with the Winged Hussars, therefore, our cavalry retreated and our infantry split - the Polish and Lithuanian infantry might have tried to push into the gap we created between our armies had they not had their hands full due to being outnumbered and due to being aggressively pushed into a wedge by our forces - the Hussars and other Polish cavalrymen turned their attention away from our seemingly retreating cavalry and turned their attention to our infantry in its V-formation - the Polish horsemen wanted to save their infantry and prevent them from being forced into that wedge, however, we wouldn't give them that chance - our cannons ripped into the Polish cavalry as horses and men alike screamed blood curdling screams as explosive fire and shrapnel robbed them of their lives, those who survived had to retreat before our cannons fired again, all the while, our cavalry made their way around, eager to press into that gap we created and massacre the Polish and Lithuanian forces.

Our cavalry poured into the fray and the slaughter began - another good part about narrowing the battlefield and forcing the enemy into a wedge within our V-formation was that the Polish and Lithuanian cannons couldn't fire upon us without endangering and likely killing their own soldiers, which was a risk too great for a country as risked as The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - we've fought them at Borisov, at Minsk, at Brest, at Kiev, and now on this plain in Lesser Poland, the Poles couldn't keep raising up their armies again, they were running out of men and they were running out money - now obviously there was still plenty worth taking in Warsaw and many, many riches, but those riches aren't in Poland's budget, that budget is what's drying up - and they were running out of time, after this, any and all soldiers The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth could field will be tasked with defending Warsaw rather than trying to stop us. This was probably for the best as we were actually slowed down by effective defenses in Kiev, but here in the Polish countryside between Krakow and Warsaw, we're tearing the enemy apart, now, they're putting up a much better fight now that they're utter the command of Jan The Prussian, but even with that, they are no match for The Tsardom of Russia, not anymore anyway. Eighteen years ago, the situation was different, eighteen years ago, the Poles and the Lithuanians were laying siege to Moscow, but now, now things have changed, my father Tsar Aleksander I worked very hard to modernize Russia's armies and here I am, using two of those armies to bring down The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and, soon enough, it would be Warsaw under siege.

The Poles and the Lithuanians declared a retreat soon enough, but we had our troops rush forward to capture as many of their cannons as possible - we'd need all the firepower we could get for The Siege of Warsaw - in the process, we managed to capture and kill more enemy soldiers, it wasn't the goal of our charge forward but hostages and enemy casualties were always a benefit, no matter how small. The battle was won, we recovered Polish artillery to use as our own, and we proved that even a new King can't keep The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from losing this war, nothing could keep The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from losing this war, we have already pushed too far ahead, we already have far too many troops so close to Warsaw, and we had four very capable generals in charge of our two armies. General Perevernykruchenko was a great leader and his cavalry proved decisive today, General Feodorov is a very capable infantry leader even if he's butting heads with his fellow generals, General Mikhailovich may be a stubborn ass and he can definitely hold a grudge, but he's been a great general for The Russian Imperial Army from the very beginning of this war and I'm glad to be alongside him, and then, there was me, now obviously I'm nowhere near as experienced as the other three generals and obviously I'm nowhere near being able to lead troops on my own, but this was an excellent beginning - I made good calls today and they worked, I'm looking forward to doing that again and again and again, until I can truly call myself a general just like these three men who have been leading my troops ever since we entered Byelorussia and Ruthenia to start this war.

I got off of my horse and watched as the soldiers began cleaning up from the battle, gathering up left over weapons, and burying the dead, we were going to set up camp here tonight anyway, we can't expect the soldiers to march right away after such an exhausting fight and after losing so many of their comrades, and besides, it's getting fairly late in the afternoon anyway, it was time for us to rest, settle down for the night, and prepare for tomorrow when we begin The Siege of Warsaw, a long and grueling process, but the process that will end this war.

I waited for the camp to get set up and then I retired to my tent, changing into my nightgown and laying down on the cot - I wasn't going to sleep yet, but I wanted to lie down, it was a long day and I was tired. Yelizaveta entered the tent about an hour later and she changed as well - I tried not to look while she changed, I failed - and finally she laid down next to me, we accepted our urges and cuddled together just like we had every since that day in Kiev. It wasn't perfect, but it kept the edge off and our feelings have been manageable ever since, fortunately, this would be one of our last nights together like this anyway, because we'd take Moscow, sign a treaty, and then we'd return to Moscow.

* * *

Alright everyone, that's been chapter seven of Romans and this has been the longest chapter I've ever written for any story, so I hope that the single upload is justified this week, especially given that, if it made sense with how I want to format this first act, I could've split this chapter in half, but I didn't, instead this is one big Anastasia chapter, chapter eight and chapter nine will be our first pair of back-to-back Helena chapters, and with chapter ten we'll return to Anastasia for The Siege of Warsaw and the end of the war, act one will end with chapter fifteen.

I love you all, peace out!


	8. The Grand Vizier

Of helloings everyone! We're back with another Ottoman chapter focusing on Sultana-Regent Helena of Gothia and Fatimah, the new Grand Vizier!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter VIII.

The Grand Vizier.

* * *

"Well an irrigation project on that scale would be incredibly expensive." I replied to Fatimah as she and I walked together along the walls around Topkapi Palace, we were currently discussing her plans all of the provinces of the Empire, perhaps predictably for a Tunisian, she began with North Africa, offering an extensive plan for increasing the productivity of the region, she planned to build an extensive network of canals to irrigate the coastal regions, she planned to modernize the local levies just as she had in Tunis, and she also intended to expand Ottoman control to a major Saharan trade route south of Tripoli, allowing us more contact and therefore more trade with civilizations deeper in Africa - legends are still told of Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali who gave away so much gold during his pilgrimage to Mecca that he single-handedly devalued gold within our old nemesis, The Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, an enemy which we have long since conquered and absorbed into our mighty civilization - now, these trade routes don't lead directly to Mali, but they do lead to the trade routes between Mali, the various Kanem-Bornu successor states along Lake Chad, and the various Islamic and Christian states in Abyssinia and The Horn of Africa, most prominently, Ethiopia.

"It would, yes, but the long term benefits of a higher population - more soldiers, more farmers, more people to tax, greater agricultural yields, and greater economic significance in the region will help bring some of these big deficits in North Africa into surpluses." Fatimah had a point, right now, North Africa was so distant and so vast that it didn't make much sense to administer it from Konstantiniyye, however, should my Grand Vizier's plan work, one last big investment could lead to these provinces paying themselves off pretty quickly. That would suit our Empire very much as, while these regions may not be profitable directly, our influence in the southern Mediterranean is undeniable thanks to these regions and North Africa was a part of The Roman Empire, a part of The Byzantine Empire - for a brief period thanks to Justinian's brief yet very real campaign to revive The Roman Empire's former glory, and now, it should be a part of The Ottoman Empire, the successor to Rome and Byzantium, the civilization that The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum wished to be, and the civilization that will be remembered over all other Islamic civilizations, whether they be Arabian, Egyptian, or even our fellow Turks.

Well I say that, but I'm still not a Turk, I'm a Crimean Greek, born and raised in The Principality of Theodoro, a place that was home to Greek settlers with minorities of Genoese and Venetian traders, Crimean Goths, and Crimean Tatars, there were no Turks however, the Turkish presence in Crimea is a recent one and only due to my lovely husband's brutal conquest of my home, leading to me becoming his wife so that my family would escape to Italy, a sacrifice, but a sacrifice that has left me at the helm of The Ottoman Empire now that my husband has died in his Persian war, I can't say that it made up for it, I can't say that I'll ever be as happy as I could've been if I lived my ideal life as a Princess in Theodoro, however, perhaps here I can achieve a different type of happiness. I felt like I had a significant weight off of my shoulders now that I was working with Fatimah bint Abdul instead of running the Empire on my own, but I knew that having a female Grand Vizier and a female regent at the same time was not going to sit well with the traditionalists within the Empire, especially if they learn about my involvement with Ibrahim Pasha's death, but if we could survive this and prove ourselves, it may very well turn into smooth sailing until my son Abdullah-Timur is ready to rule on his own - though even then I shall remain a powerful figure within the Empire as I seek to help my son as long as I can.

"Well, it sounds good at very least, what are your plans for Egypt?" I asked, transitioning from our province of North Africa to our province of Egypt - Egypt was geographically in North Africa, however, Egypt was very different and very important in Islamic history, Egypt has been the seat of many very powerful Sultanates and even the Caliphate - Cairo has been home to both the Shia Fatimid Caliphs and the Sunni Abbasid Caliphs, the former established Cairo, the latter fled to Cairo following the brutal Mongol conquest of Persia, including Baghdad. Egypt was more than Cairo however, Egypt was a very rich and very populated province, a province with very different and very serious problems that North Africa doesn't have to worry about, Egypt has significant minorities of Coptic Christians and even is the seat of The Coptic Pope, The Patriarch of Alexandria, now, Christians aren't a problem, we have plenty of them all around the Empire, however, the seat of their religion is within our Empire and that is a unique situation as, unlike the relatively small and weak Nestorian Church of The East in Baghdad, The Coptic Church has a lot of followers outside of our Empire, including The Ethiopian Empire, now, this could go one of two ways, ideally, we could use The Patriarch of Alexandria to hold influence over Ethiopia, however, it could go far worse and result in Ethiopia threatening southern Egypt - realistically, I doubt that Ethiopia presented any threat to us at all, however, going to war with them would be unnecessarily expensive, unnecessarily remote, and there wouldn't be much benefit to it given that, quite frankly, Ethiopia doesn't have any land that The Ottoman Empire wants.

Egypt was home to more minorities as well, these include a whole caste of Mamluks, these Mamluks are essentially slaves, however, these warrior slaves have significant influence and ruled Egypt for a long time under The Mamluk Sultanate, now, they're left without a state, but these slaves, many are Turkish, many are Circassian, many are different ethnicities entirely, they are, however, united in the fact that they are Mamluks and in that they could be a threat, especially as they wish to reestablish their former state, there's also a few lingering Shia Muslims left over from the days of The Fatimid Caliphate centuries ago, though their numbers were cut down significantly under the reign of Saladin and his successors, The Ayyubid Sultanate, but some remain and I'm sure that some of them would love to see more of Egypt become Shia, perhaps even to see Egypt become the home of a Shia Caliphate once again, either way, they could prove to be a problem. Despite this, Egypt is a very valuable problem thanks to ancient trade routes to cities such as Alexandria and more modern cities such as Cairo, additionally, Egypt is another famous Rome province due to the famous stories of Caesar, Cleopatra, Marc Antony, and Octavian, stories remembered due to the vast struggles between Romans and Macedonians to rule over the breadbasket that is Egypt - all of North Africa was a breadbasket at one point, enough to feed all of Rome, though the loss of Roman irrigation has harmed the region significantly, though, if Fatimah's plans succeed, perhaps some of that agriculture could return to the region, given how useful those plans could be, I was eager to hear what she had planned for Egypt - I had a feeling that her plan would be grand and it could massively benefit the Empire, the question is, is that plan achievable and do we have the money to execute that plan? The only problem I could see with Fatimah as a Grand Vizier is that she was infinitely ambitious and very capable of coming up with the kind of ideas that could propel The Ottoman Empire into greatness, however, these ideas could also bankrupt and destroy the Empire as we try and fail to reach this greatness, therefore, it's difficult to say whether or not these ideas will be any good, nevertheless, I want to hear them - even if we couldn't accomplish all of these ideas, achieving some of them would certainly help my son become the best Sultan that we can possibly can, that mattered more to me than the long term effects of any of these projects that Fatimah had planned.

"Ah Egypt, already so valuable despite being so troubled...I have many ideas here: ultimately, I belief it's in our best interests to leave the Christians alone, they maybe be numerous and they may not love our rule, but they aren't revolting now and doing anything to harm them is exactly the kind of thing that may provoke them and, in turn, provoke the Ethiopians. As for the Mamluks, we need to weaken them, it's an outdated institution and it's a threat to our rule over Egypt, they're clinging to their former Sultanate far too much, I'd say the best way to deal with them would be to bring the current members into our armies and watch as they either win battles for us or become less of a problem, meanwhile, we introduce limits on purchasing new Mamluks until it's practically unreasonable for them to increase their numbers, finally, this last idea is to make Egypt more valuable rather than to solidify our control over it, now, Egypt sits on both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, however, there currently is no way for a ship to cross into these different seas, however, there once was, a canal once linked these two bodies of water and a canal can link them again, in fact, before we conquered The Mamluk Sultanate, they drew up plans with the Venetians to create a canal! We can adjust those plans, modernize them, and we can create a canal linking the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, allowing us to rule over both our seas and the Indian Ocean." There it is, there's Fatimah's grand plan for Egypt, a canal, now, I could see how the canal could have benefits, I could even see that it could be a big benefit for us, however, is that benefit big enough to justify the cost of building and maintaining a canal? Plenty of the historic canals that Fatimah referenced are no longer there because they drowned in sand, what's to say that our canal would be any different? Additionally, how useful would such a canal be to begin with?

"I like your ideas about the Christians and the Mamluks, however, the canal seems a bit excessive, I mean, why would we need to rule over the Indian Ocean to begin with? Controlling the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea is hard enough sometimes." I replied, showing my hesitation to accept her ideas, regardless of how useful they could be - useful is one thing, worth it is another.

"Oh I have plenty of plans for The Indian Ocean, I'll get to those once I get to my plans for Arabia, for now, however, I'd like to talk about The Levant." Fatimah answered, I was interested in what she had planned, we didn't have too much Arabian land right now, we had a strip along the Red Sea which contained both Mecca and Medina, however, most of The Arabian Peninsula was not our control, not Yemen, not the Persian Gulf coast, and not the Bedouin heart of Arabia where nomadic tribes live in both federations and Sultanates within the harsh deserts, our most dangerous local rival in Arabia is The Sultanate of Hormuz which controls the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, however Hormuz is not the real power we should be worried about, the real power to be worried about is their masters in the form of Portugal, the great Portuguese sailors dominate the Indian Ocean and The Sultanate of Hormuz gets a lot of aid and a lot of firepower from the Portuguese, to the point that the Sultanate was willing to give Portugal the island of Bahrain as a gift for their support and as a base from with which they could exert influence over Arabia and thus interfere with our mighty Ottoman Empire and our trade networks. The various Arabian Emirates and Sultanates would be a problem and the Portuguese are already an economic issue, demanding a response, however, that was in Arabia, the situation in The Levant was very different.

"Very well, Grand Vizier." I replied, The Levant is solidly under our control, it is compromised of the holy area surrounding Jerusalem as well as the surrounding areas in the form of Syria and Transjordan, these are the areas with most of the Arabs in The Ottoman Empire, particularly in Damascus, a city which has been the seat of a fair few independent states, but most of the time, it has been the seat of a local governor of a larger state, this is the situation once again as The Ottoman Empire is ruled from Konstantiniyye while Damascus is just a city, a large city, but just a city, in fact, it's a city often overlooked in the favor of Jerusalem, a smaller city, but a city which is far more significant religiously and historically. Cyprus is nearby and I expect us to at least touch on the island while discussing The Levant, it may not be too heavily populated, but it is very important for dominating the eastern Mediterranean, along with Crete and along with the peninsulas of southern Greece, all of which are currently in our hands despite the fact that Venice would very much like to control all of these, along with trade in the eastern Mediterranean, however, unfortunately for Venice, they are not the great powerhouse that they once were and The Most Serene Republic may struggle to influence events in Italy, let alone Europe, and let alone the Mediterranean Sea, that honor goes to us.

"Well, with this war between the Catholics and the Protestants in The Holy Roman Empire, we're seeing a lot less Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem, that's not ideal, we're also getting a lot less buyers for our oriental goods thanks to the Europeans and their sea routes to Asia, this is hurting our Levantine provinces and I admit that an obvious solution does not present itself, however, the region is well defended in the heart of the Empire and the local Arabs are loyal, even local Christian populations, therefore, it seems that we shouldn't have to worry about the region, and that would be true had it not been for the loss of your husband, Sultan Suleiman III at the hands of Levantine bodyguards, I can assure you that I will make sure we investigate this properly, in the meantime, I'm glad to see that you've been using The Janissaries for protection, we can't trust these Levantine guards anymore. I'm sorry that I couldn't provide more." Fatimah has nothing new to offer in terms of The Levant but that doesn't surprise me, the trade problems are more due to the Europeans being willing to sail all the way around Africa to avoid Venetian prices - Venice would buy from us and sell to their fellow Europeans at a significant mark-up, however, Europeans were content to pay that rather than to directly do business with Muslims, though not anymore, now they wanted nothing less than full control over the trade themselves, therefore, there was no place for Venice anymore and, as far as Europe was concerned, there was no place for us either, as for the Christian pilgrimages, well...the zealots of Europe being involved in a massive war with each other will do that, there isn't much that we can do about it. The Levantine coup was a different matter and I wanted to hear where the Grand Vizier's investigations go, if for no other reason than to save myself - still, saying that I avenged my husband may win over some of my enemies within the Empire - and I was going to stick with the Janissaries regardless of how this goes, especially while trying to prove myself to Olga as a part of my apology to her for intimidating her and threatening her livelihood without even understanding what or who I was even threatening.

"Alright then Grand Vizier, keep me posted on your investigations. Do you have any plans for Cyprus?" I asked, I wanted to know her plans, even small plans involving Cyprus - though if anyone in The Ottoman Empire is going to have a grand scheme centered around Cyprus, it would be Fatimah bint-Abdul, though I dread to think of what her imagination could do with Cyprus, I am interested in seeing what has passed through her - admittedly limited - filters and deemed realistic enough or rewarding enough to pass onto The Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire.

"No plans for Cyprus per se, however, as you know, Cyprus is critical in our control over the eastern Mediterranean, it's in a central position that allows us to control the sea lanes along Anatolia, along The Levant, and along North Africa, it's very useful and very important in protecting our trade, there is an island which could give us that type of control over a place where we don't already have such a monopoly, a place which has already experienced Islamic rule, and a place that I believe that we can bring into our realm fairly easily - Sicily." I could tell that Fatimah was a bit hesitant to tell me about this but her hesitation was quickly overpowered by her excitement over this scheme, however, I knew that this scheme couldn't work, in fact, she alluded to one of the reasons why it wouldn't work - as she said Sicily was once under Islamic rule, there is a very good reason why it's not anymore, a reason which can and will repeat itself now.

"Fatimah, we'll never be able to hold on to Sicily even if we do capture it, Sicily is ruled by The King of Spain and it's way too close to Rome for The Pope or for any loyal Catholic to allow us to control it, in fact, the Protestants and Catholics might stop fighting for long enough to push us out of Sicily and they might just decide that they want Croatia too, maybe Bosnia, maybe Serbia...it's a war that won't end well for us." I was being a bit forceful in shooting down this scheme but it was just too far-fetched for it being something that we could accomplish and I don't want Fatimah wasting her time thinking of ways that we could take and defend Sicily rather than putting time and effort into things that we could actually do. I'd love to have Sicily, she's right that it would help us control trade to both Genoa and Venice and in the Mediterranean as a whole, but it's not like the Catholics would let us hold onto it for long enough to take advantage of it and they'll make damn sure that the reconquest would make the whole endeavor more trouble than it was worth for us.

"You may be right, but we'll never know unless we try, anyway, would you like to hear my plans for Anatolia, our provinces courtesy of Persia, and Europe?" I nodded as we stopped on a guard tower of Topkapi Palace and looked out at Konstantiniyye, seeing a sea of minarets, domes, and rooftops as far as the eye could see, we could gear the hustle and bustle of the bazaars and the busy docks, and we could smell exotic goods moving back and forth throughout the city - all of that reminded me of the day that I spent outside of the palace, but I knew that I would be here a lot more from here on out, I chose to stick with this life and I chose to have a very energetic Grand Vizier in the form of Fatimah bint-Abdul, therefore, I've committed myself to a lot of work, but it will be glorious work and it will leave my son and successor with The Ottoman Empire at its peak "Anatolia looks good and we'll be able to protect it better now that we have these Persian provinces, however, we have a lot of work to do with those provinces, we need to build them up and we need fortresses to protect this new land from the Georgians and the Russians, the Persians left the region far less defended than we need it."

"Are you scared of the Russians?" I asked Fatimah, she seems very concerned about protecting these new gains and i know that the reason is Russia, Georgia is a minor Kingdom and it is increasingly under Russian influence while Persia has been defeated by us and they will need some time to recover from that war, even if they didn't, we signed a treaty after the last war so they're not a problem, the problem is to the north where The Tsardom of Russia grows larger and larger by the day thanks to their expansions ever farther east and now, they've set their eyes west on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a huge state, a powerful state, and a thorn in the side of multiple Ottoman Sultans, however, it seems that they won't be a problem for much longer as Russia seeks to eclipse them in every way, including in - perhaps especially in - preventing our expansion in eastern Europe.

"I can't not be scared of the Russians, they're the biggest threat to The Ottoman Empire right now, they are intent on isolating our Crimean province and then pushing us back on every front, look at what they're doing to the Poles! They want land and they want a lot of it, it's not a big jump to conclude that Russia wants a coast on the Black Sea and they'll definitely use that harass our ships and challenge over rule over Crimea, over our new Persian provinces, and they have never taken too kindly to our land in the Balkans, as far as they're concerned, all of the Orthodox people of those countries should answer to their free and Autocephalous Patriarch of Moscow rather than The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, who they insist is nothing more than our puppet. They're a big threat, a far bigger threat than The Habsburgs and their sham of an Empire." Fatimah explained and I listened, Russia was dangerous and she was watching their moves closely - that was a good thing too, we needed to be ready to respond to any form of Russian aggression, we could close a lot of land and a lot of our control and influence over our neighbors if we're beaten my one of our neighbors - even if Russia is no ordinary number, if our enemies know that we're beatable, then they'll know that they can and will eventually beat us, therefore, we must be ready and we must be brutal in any response from the Balkans lest they throw a fit and that fit results in us losing it all throughout the Balkans, including lands that have been a part of The Ottoman Empire for as long as anyone could remember.

"How do you propose we deal with the Russians?" I asked, I had a few of my own ideas - attacking them while they're weak and unprepared rather than waiting for them to attack us was tempting, however, there was no guarantee that it would work and we don't want to get it wrong, us being the aggressor would allow the Russians to make far greater demands than they could otherwise without the European powers complaining - the Europeans did hate us, but they also hated the idea of someone like Russia becoming too strong, they're content with Russia being a large but backwards realm on the fringes of Europe, though that does not suit the Russians and I fear that our northern foe is a lot less backwards and a lot more powerful than Europe would like to believe. It's clear that Russia wanted Crimea and they wanted the provinces we took from The Qara Qoyunlu Persians, this would give them control of the northern Black Sea and it would rob us from our recently acquired coastline along the Caspian, they would have the Caucasian corridor and that would allow them to trade with the Persians and cut us off from even more trade with the Europeans, we'd have to fight them. It was strange, I was born and raised Orthodox and Greek in Theodoro, now, I would be fighting to ensure Islamic and Turkish rule over Crimea, two years ago, I think that I would've preferred Theodoro to become a part of Russia rather than being conquered by The Ottomans, but now, the situation was different and my son was the Sultan, I had an obligation to The Ottoman Empire, that meant that I had to fight to keep the conquerors in my homeland - this isn't an enviable position, I do admit.

"Ultimately, the Russians have a lot of men, they have a lot of guns, and they're keeping their army very modern, they'll be very hard to beat, however, we have the benefit of seeing the Russian army in action against the Poles and the Lithuanians, therefore, we know what we're up against, we'll need to modernize our troops and arm them properly across the Empire and, even then, it may not be enough to keep them back, therefore, I drew a bit of inspiration from the German war on this - we should push forward into the Russian lands, take all the food and all the resources we can and scorch the rest, then, we retreat. North of Crimea and north of the Caucasus we force the Russians to contend with extreme attrition and wear them down enough that the Russians won't have enough men to use their advantages properly, that is our best chance in the ground war, however, the war at sea seems a lot better for us, we have an established and experienced fleet in the Black Sea and we should be able to defeat any Russian fleet quite handily - I believe that if we control the Black Sea, we can eventually win the ground war over Crimea and in the Caucasus, but we will need to be uncompromising, we will need to take losses, and we will need to be exceptionally brutal to the Russians, as far as I can tell, there is no other way." I listened and it seems that Fatimah has put a lot of thought into this, she must have spoken to many figures in both the Ottoman army and the Ottoman army - not surprising given that she said that her father had served my husband in Persia prior to his injuries, therefore, she'd have those connections to the military thanks to her father - such a brutal war against the Russians wouldn't be pretty and I dreaded to think of how they might retaliate, but if they want to take Crimea and the Caucasus, it wouldn't make much sense to scorch the very land that they're fighting for, I hoped that the Russians wouldn't prolong this war by burning our core lands, but they very well may, especially given that we obviously wouldn't want to give up land that is so useful. This Russo-Ottoman War is deeply concerning, it's also inevitable, this was going to be a big one, Tsarina Anastasia of Russia will fight very hard to cement her reputation and I will fight equally hard to ensure that the Empire is as strong as it can be for my son, unfortunately, it's hard to say who will come out on top.

"I suspect there may be no other way to fight that war with a chance of victory, is there anything else you have planned when it comes to Europe?" I asked, we still had to talk about Iraq and about Arabia, the latter Fatimah seems very excited about.

"Yes, Wallachia and Moldovia need to be put under direct control now that Russia has descended on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I don't trust the Orthodox Romanians to fight as hard against the Orthodox Russians as we need them to, as for Transylvania, for now, the most important thing is to solidify that they are our vassal rather than a vassal of the Habsburgs. The Habsburgs are another problem, I would like to push them out of Hungary entirely, perhaps we can even push further and protect Croatia by taking Istria as well as the Slovene lands - Istria will also allow us to control Venice by having a significant presence on The Gulf of Venice, we may finally have the peace and quiet we need in the Mediterranean, however, we'll have more Catholics in our population and I know that The Pope won't take kindly to that, however, The Pope is less powerful now than he used to be, perhaps we could finally neutralize him and much of The Holy Roman Empire as a threat by supporting and perhaps even outright allying with the Protestants." I liked what I was hearing from Fatimah, Wallachia and Moldovia should be under our direct control at this point and the Protestant angle could help us a lot, we'd have common enemies in The Pope and The Holy Roman Emperor therefore, helping them now will prolong the war between Catholics and Protestants, weakening our Catholic foes and, later on, they can help us by opening a front in Germany should The Holy Roman Emperor seek to attack us in Hungary or in the Balkans. Now, we'd want to have a strong Protestant power on our side to make the alliance worthwhile and, right now, no one is really emerging as a Protestant superpower, but things can change very quickly, especially as the war spills out of Germany with the likes of Denmark-Norway and Sweden entering that war, though all of this will have to wait until after we finish things with the Russians over the Black Sea - and that was hasn't even begun yet - The Ottomans will have a very turbulent near future, all of Europe will really.

"This sounds good, now, how about Iraq?" I asked my brilliant Grand Vizier as we walked down the steps from Topkapi Palace's walls and entered the gardens, enjoying the warm Konstantiniyye sun as it reigned in the sky above us, it was warn, it was cloudless, and it was a beautiful shade of blue, the day made everything look wonderful, especially my Grand Vizier, I was growing to like the smile on her lips and the light in her eyes as she gets excited over her brilliant, if a bit too ambitious ideas for making The Ottoman Empire even greater, I liked how I could see the excitement in her body language and hear it as she started talking faster and smiling even more, and I loved watching her swaying through this garden in a beautiful red, pink, and gold sleeveless dress that most of the Ottoman court would call scandalous, I could it perfect for her. She was no traditionalist, that's for sure, but she might just be the young and reform-minded personality that The Ottoman Empire needed to remain a great power in this ever-changing world as the Europeans divide a whole hemisphere amongst themselves and now target their own hemisphere with far greater interest than ever before - it's no longer England and France fighting over Normandy and Gascony, it's England and France fighting over trade routes to India and, beyond that, to China - however, we may yet find a powerful new niche in this new reality thanks to someone like Fatimah, but all of that depends on whether or not we can execute her great ideas and whether or not the Russians and the rest of the Europeans allow us to have as much territory as we do - this truly will be a defining period in Ottoman history - will we remain a powerhouse at the crossroads of civilization, will we remain a power that is feared and respected as far away as Portugal and China, or will we fade into obscurity as the Europeans steal the show?

"Iraq is doing well for us right now, Baghdad will never be the city that it was before the Mongols but it's by far the greatest city in Iraq by far and it's pretty high up there for Ottoman cities in general, but with the trade routes shifting thanks to the Europeans, perhaps agriculture may prove to be more significant coming forward, the Tigris and Euphrates provide irrigation but we can do far more with proper investment, beyond that, the most important thing would be to fortify the region and keep Persia from trying to retake it, we don't really want to any of Persia's land - with the one exception being the land just north of The Strait of Hormuz." It's clear that Fatimah has her pet regions and Iraq isn't one of them, she didn't have anything revolutionary to offer but that isn't a problem, I'm not asking for massive money sinks everywhere, I'm asking for what will help The Ottoman Empire the most going forward and she's provided that, though it's clear that she provided far more care and far more ambition to regions like North Africa, like Egypt, and like Arabia, in fact, she couldn't help but let her plans for Arabia slip while discussing Iraq, she said that she wanted us to control the northern part of The Strait of Hormuz, though controlling the northern part wouldn't make sense without controlling the southern part, that means conflict with Hormuz and that means conflict with Portugal. I wasn't necessarily opposed to that, it could benefit the Empire, I just don't want to be caught fighting the Portuguese in Arabia and at sea while we're fighting the Russians in Crimea and in the Caucasus, the combined power of both Russia and Portugal would devastate the Empire and greedy opportunists in Europe, in Persia, and beyond would gladly take advantage. Like a few of Fatimah's schemes, this could be exactly what The Ottoman Empire needs, it could also be exactly what cripples us.

"Something tells me you want to talk about Arabia now?" I grinned, I had a feeling that Arabia was going to be Fatimah's masterpiece, this was going to be the site of her greatest scheme, this was her pet project, a canal in Egypt or turning desert into farmland was nothing compared to what she really wanted, she wanted The Ottomans to dominate the Muslim world and perhaps that was our niche, if we were going to lose our role as a trade Empire thanks to the Europeans and their new colonies and trade routes, perhaps we can at least dominate the Muslim world in a way unseen since the days of The Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates - we weren't too far off, granted, we were missing Persia and we haven't taken Arabia yet, but at this point, with Persia being Shia and the rest of the Islamic world for the most part being Sunni, perhaps we won't see Persia become a part of any pan-Islamic state, so maybe Arabia, North Africa, The Levant, Iraq, Anatolia, and The Balkan Peninsula is as united as it's going to get.

"Indeed I do!" Fatimah was practically bubbling over with excitement "We need to expand our Arabian territory, we need to control the coasts at a minimum because it's clear that trade with The Orient is increasingly moving towards the Indian Ocean, we need a piece of that trade and we need to deny the Portuguese and the other Europeans from having a foothold on our peninsula. In order to do this, we'll have to fight Portugal, Hormuz, Oman, and the other states of inner and eastern Arabia, they can be beaten, but the Portuguese troops will be dangerous and the Arabs will probably have the luxury of Portuguese weapons and cannons, but the Portuguese aren't accustomed to fighting in the desert and the various Arab states are a lot weaker than we are, we can do this and, once we accomplish that, we'll have access to the Indian Ocean's trade networks stretching as far away as China and with that, not only can we trade ourselves, we can also plunder Europe's newfound wealth, that is what will pay for my various ambitions."

"Well, I am glad that you have an idea for paying for all this excitement, I do think we can win that war, but I'm not sure if it's the right move with war against the Russians on the horizon." I hated to burst Fatimah's bubble but I had to say it, nevertheless, she didn't seem affected by it at all - she's already thought through my reply, hasn't she? She's a diabolical little genius, isn't she? A cute one too.

"We can strike soon, while Russia is either still fighting the Poles and the Lithuanians or recovering from it, that will prevent a two front war and that will only make us stronger for when we fight Russia - the war against Russia will be purely defensive, it has to be, there's nothing to gain that won't be more trouble than it's worth, therefore, this is where we'll gain land, gain prestige, and gain power." Fatimah replied and maybe she had a point, she was certainly sure of herself and I could practically taste the confidence radiating off of her. She was radiant in so many ways too, she was smart, she was ambitious, she was beautiful...she was so many things and she lifted the weight of the world off of my shoulders, I was grateful to her and I loved the time we've spent together since I made her my Grand Vizier, it was certainly better than any time I spent with my husband. It's weird to compare a woman to my late husband, I admit that, but I couldn't help it - if I was a man, Fatimah would be an excellent candidate for a wife, in fact, her position as the daughter of a Governor - especially of a province as rich, historic, and significant as Tunis - would definitely be wife material for a Muslim ruler, especially given that polygamy among rulers is quite common, my husband may not have married a second wife prior to his death but he certainly made use of the harem and harem members are technically considered as wives of the Sultan to religiously justify the practice, though harem concubines and any theoretical children are weighted less than the Sultan's official wives and official children. Perhaps marrying my Grand Vizier wouldn't sit well with Ottoman politics, but I don't really care, if I was a man, I don't think that I could refuse someone like Fatimah, I mean, imagine the skills we could raise our theoretical child with, unfortunately, I'm not a man, I'm a woman just like Fatimah is, therefore, we can't do anything together, we can't be married, we can't be together, none of that, still, that didn't mean that I found her any less attractive or that I found it any easier to refuse anything she says, oh Fatimah, you Tunisian beauty...if only things were different, if only something could come of this...

"You know, it's really hard to say no to you." I giggled to Fatimah as we continued to walk together, I enjoyed being with her, I probably enjoyed being with her a little too much, but I did, and I hope that she felt the same way as I did. When I'm with Fatimah, I don't worry about my place in Konstantiniyye or my status as Sultana-regent, with her I don't worry about Abdullah-Timor, I hardly think of my son with her, I hardly think of anything that happened before her, I think of her now, I think of what we can accomplish together, and I think of what a wonderful future we can lead The Ottoman Empire to - perhaps two women at the helm is exactly what the doctor ordered for our Empire, perhaps we can revitalize it, perhaps we can defeat all our enemies and make it clear who is The Third Rome once and for all, until then, I'm content to enjoy myself while Fatimah and I walk around the grounds of Topkapi Palace, planning our agenda for the Empire and talking about far more than just politics and plans, soon enough, we were just talking about each other, enjoying ourselves and enjoying each other's company, it felt great, it felt right, it felt like something that should go further, but unfortunately, we both know it can't.

* * *

I watched quietly on the sidelines as Olga sparred with a fellow Janissary, she wasn't wearing her full armor, but she was wearing enough to conceal her gender, she was Captain Draganov, she was a Bulgarian Orthodox man who was ripped from his family at birth and raised to be a Janissary, that was her story and for some, that was plausible enough, children are kidnapped and forced to become Janissaries all the time, however, I knew the truth, she was a Janissary by day and a Bulgarian woman making a living in Konstantiniyye by night - I had to assume that at least a few of fellow Janissaries have noticed, I mean she's got a very womanly figure and, despite all her loose and bulky clothes, despite the pillow she used to fill up her torso, despite the careful use of makeup to make her face appear more masculine - she was good at what she did, but once I found out her secret, it's incredibly obvious, I can't unsee it now. She was an effeminate man at best and a blatant woman at worst, nevertheless, she was holding her own - her small size left her at a disadvantage but she only saw that as a challenge, she trained harder than her fellow Janissaries and she fought smarter - she knew that she couldn't beat her male rivals in a straight fight, so she didn't let it get to that, she used her lightness to her advantage and moved faster than her rivals, she use her opponent's momentum against them, and, sure enough, the male opponent went down while Captain Draganov stood victorious. She's a fighter and she's a pretty good one, perhaps that's the reason why she's achieved the rank of Captain despite being so young and despite the fact that her soldiers are surely aware of the fact that, if nothing else, she sleeps somewhere other than where they do - that's got to raise some suspicion but it doesn't seem to be stopping her. Olga was still angry with me over what I did to her the day that we assassinated the former Grand Vizier, I wish I could tell her what I now know, but that would only split us apart completely as she would think that I was spying on her, if she thought that, then she'd never want to trust me, she'd never want to form a working relationship, and that would only hurt me - having an ally within the Janissaries, especially in an officer position would help ensure their loyalty to me and, on a personally level, having a friend in the form of Olga and another friend in the form of my Grand Vizier Fatimah makes it a lot easier to rule over an Empire, it helps keep me human and in touch with reality.

"My fair regent," Olga greeted reluctantly as she approached me, she didn't want to talk, but we were going to talk because, while she didn't accept my apology earlier, perhaps I could help get her there by showing that I was grateful for and the other Janissaries helping me out in the throne room when Spartak Pasha tried to keep me from even giving Fatimah a chance, let alone make her Grand Vizier, therefore, the Janissaries have essentially sided with me rather than Spartak and the traditionalists, therefore, I had someone to protect me despite the fact that my husband had been assassinated by his own Levantine bodyguards - I don't know who is responsible for my husband being in Arabic protection rather than the standard Janissary protection, however, it happened and it resulted in his assassination, given that Ibrahim Pasha immediately tried to seize power and his protege Spartak is now trying to follow suit, I wouldn't be surprised, at all, if these traditionalists were involved in the assassination, but I wasn't sure right now, perhaps Olga and the Janissaries could provide more information, perhaps the investigation that Fatimah arranged in The Levant will give us answers, or perhaps the conspirators will end up revealing themselves, I don't know right now, but I need answers and I need allies, if I'm going to go to war with the Portuguese and later the Russians, I can't afford to be assassinated, if that happens, who knows who will come to power as my son's regent - I suppose that Fatimah would be the preferred candidate but if these traditionalists assassinate me, if they were involved in assassinating my husband, then there's no way that they wouldn't target Fatimah next.

"Hello Captain, I would like to thank you for stepping in and helping me out against Spartak Pasha in the throne room, though I suspect that he and his friends will continue to be a problem." I told Olga, keeping up the facade that she was a male Janissary captain, beyond that, I had some freedom speaking here, we were firmly in the Janissary's turf within the grounds of Topkapi Palace, no Ottoman traditionalist would be caught dead associating with these glorified Balkan slaves who were given far too many privileges as far as they were concerned and a Levantine spy would stick out like a sore thumb in a place like this, we were safe from our enemies, even if Olga had a more legitimate grudge against me than the people who wanted to assassinate me. Funny how things turn out, the person who I berated, the person whose livelihood I threatened, and the person who I threatened to expose is, by circumstance rather than choice, now one of my closest allies as there is either two dangerous factions or one incredibly powerful and incredibly subversive faction looking to kill me and the Janissaries are the ones who will protect me, that means that Olga and I will have to work together, whether she wanted to or not.

"Yes my regent, I do believe that Spartak Pasha is part of a powerful faction." Olga didn't want to talk to me but she seemed a bit relieved that it was just business, for now anyway, she alluded to powerful friends that both Spartak Pasha and his former mentor Ibrahim Pasha had "Myself and my fellow Janissaries will protect you, you have my word."

"Thank you Captain, I appreciate that you're still on my side despite everything." I tentatively put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile, no doubt it appeared very awkward, no doubt it came across as incredibly forced, but I wasn't really good at this whole atoning thing, I was good at flipping out and overreacting, Olga can attest to that, but I'm no good at making up for it, that much is clear. I wonder if someone like Fatimah would be better at this than I am, she seems to be great at everything, she's great at coming up with plans, she's great at running my Empire, she's great at entertaining me...well, maybe that last one shouldn't be so important, though I have to admit that I'm a lot happier and it's a lot easier to be here on Konstantiniyye when there's someone like her at my side. I do admit that's it's far from professional for a ruler of an Islamic realm to be so enamored with the Grand Vizier, but I can't help it, it's not my fault that I find Fatimah so captivating, nor is it my fault that she and I are both women and, therefore, we can't actually be anything more than just friends, I wish that there could be something more than that, I find her so intoxicating, I like seeing her mind at work, and I like the glint in her eyes and the smirk on her mouth when she's developed her next scheme to bring The Ottoman Empire into a new golden age, a golden age that will make the whole world tremble before us as the likes of The Pope, The Holy Roman Emperor, and even The Tsarina of Russia kiss the feet of my young son Abdullah Timur as they call him their Caesar, the true heir of Rome. What a great sight that would be, what an unlikely one too, but if anyone could do it, it would be myself and Fatimah, the two women who will bring The Ottoman Empire to the height of its power, but what an unfortunate reality that we're both women - if only things were different.

"Well, my Sultana," Olga began and that snapped me out of my daydreaming about Fatimah, though that didn't mean that just as much, if not more of my mind was still on Fatimah as was here listening to Olga and having a conversation with her - I needed to focus, we were talking about something important, we were talking about protecting myself, protecting Fatimah, and, most importantly, protecting Abdullah Timur from these traditionalists who tried to seize power following my husband's death and from the Levantine bodyguards who assassinated him to begin with, knowing full well that those two factions may very well overlap. Modern Europe is no stranger to scheming and conspiracy, we've seen assassination attempts, secret alliances, plans to carve up neighbors, and far more types of schemes - in fact, The Ottomans have been at the center of many of them, whether they be Venetian or Genoese schemes to retake the various and peninsulas in Greece that they held following The Fourth Crusade, most notably Crete for the Venetians and parts of the Crimean Peninsula for the Genoese, attempts by the Habsburgs and The Pope to organize a crusade against us, and our own attempts to destabilize Europe - such as Fatimah's plan to hurt our Catholic enemies by giving aid to the Protestants, though we've done similar things before and we will do so again, right now, the biggest threats to The Ottoman Empire are the Orthodox Russians along with the various Catholic powers of Europe, with the biggest Catholic threat nowadays is The Holy Roman Empire, but The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, before them, The Most Serene Republic of Venice were very real threats as well, but Venice has lost its colonies in Greece to our Empire and its importance to global trade bypassing the Mediterranean while The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is being eaten alive by the Russians. Anyway, Olga finally got around to addressing my apology, even if she wasn't going to accept it, not yet anyway "What has happened, regardless of the fact that it was incredibly hurtful and worrying, has happened and I couldn't call myself a professional if I let lingering on the past interfere with what I need to do, which is protecting you, your family, and the rest of the Ottoman court."

"Thank you Captain, now, I understand that I may be asking for far too much, far too soon, but, if the Janissaries find out anything about Spartak Pasha and his allies or about the Levantine assassins or both, could you be the one to inform me?" I know that I was probably pushing it, but an ally within the Janissaries is still something that I needed and, while I did fail the first time with Captain Draganov, perhaps this time, perhaps now that I was asking her rather than commanding her, perhaps she may accept and perhaps she won't, but I hope that she can at least look at what I've done this time compared to what I tried to do the first time, maybe she'll appreciate that, at very least - I still wasn't good at this.

"Sultana, am I allowed to say no?" Olga was looking at me directly in the eyes now, she was dead serious and she wanted an answer, she was whispering but the intent in her voice was clear, as was the fact that she dropped the voice she did to sound more masculine, she was speaking in her natural voice, the hushed and feminine Bulgarian accent intensified by her seriousness and determination, it sent shivers down my spine, not in a good way either, I was legitimately scared of her right now, I felt like she might even hurt me if I give the right answer - though I guess that the right answer is obvious, after all, this is how she felt when I threatened her, isn't it? She's giving me a taste of my own medicine and I admit that I don't like it, no one would it. I've done her wrong, I've done Olga very wrong indeed, and now, she's testing my apology, she's putting me through a little bit of what I put her through - I suppose that it's clear, if I'm sorry, I should take it, I should let her make me feel miserable, because I deserve it, therefore, that's what I did, I stood there practically burning under Olga's glare, I took the pain, I felt like a little girl who was getting a scolding, but in the end, it seems that Olga saw that, she softened her glare, she backed off from me a little bit, and she crossed her arms, she was now resigned to listen to my answer, but she would get the answer she wanted.

"Yes, you're allowed to say no, you're allowed to say no and you're allowed to end this arrangement whenever you want - I can't say that I know how you felt that day I berated you, but I know how you made me feel just now and it wasn't good, it wasn't good at all." I admitted, this isn't how I envisioned this conversation going, but maybe this is how it was always supposed to go, an apology isn't what Olga wanted to hear, she wasn't going to forgive me until she saw that I learned something and I have, in fact, I've learned a few lessons, it all started when I saw Olga's life outside of Topkapi Palace, she lives and works outside of this palace and she even has a female lover...a female lover...

"Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear," Olga replied, it wasn't a yes or no answer, in context, it seemed like more of a no, but she didn't move away and return to her duties as Captain Draganov, instead, she stayed here and gave me a soft smile - was she saying she will be my ally within the Janissaries? Is this a yes? This was almost too good to be true, I had to ask just to be sure.

"Does this mean..." I began to ask but Olga knew where I was going with this, she answered before I even got the whole question out.

"Yes, my Sultana, I'll help you." She smiled, I had my Janissary, more importantly, however, Olga has seemingly forgiven me, she had to dish out a little more punishment before she was willing to do it but we were past that now, we had a working relationship right now and everything was going so well - Fatimah was now serving as my uber-talented Grand Vizier, we had wonderful plans for the future of The Ottoman Empire, and I had Olga back on my side and I finally got the personal Janissary that I wanted, everything was perfect in Konstantiniyye as I left the Janissary wing of Topkapi Palace and headed over to pick up my son, well, almost perfect. Abdullah Timur was just a year old, he had his whole life ahead of him but he'd be growing up with just one parent, sure he had Xanthippi and tons of other nursemaids helping raise him, but nurses and sitters were not the same as parents and, unfortunately, his dad went off the fight the Persians and got himself killed by his own bodyguards, now I'm all he's got.

"Thank you, Xanthippi," I greeted as the little Greek woman handed him over, I held him in my arms and I walked him to his room, gently humming as we moved through the palace grounds until finally, we reached his room and I set him down gently in his bed - the little conqueror had fallen asleep on the way. I looked down into his crib, he seemed so healthy, so strong, so beautiful, but he still hasn't walked yet, he's said his first words so I know that he has it in him...maybe he just needs more time, that had to be it.

I looked over as a shadow blocked the light that got through, I followed it to its source and I saw that Fatimah stood curiously at the doorway, I put a finger to my lips to shush her but gestured for her to come in - the Grand Vizier had a right to see who her Sultan really was, I was only the regent. Fatimah silently made her way over to the crib, she put her hand on one of my shoulders and looked over the over at my child, after everything that happened today, this felt like the perfect ending. This felt right. This felt like the answer to everything that's troubled me lately, I wanted more with Fatimah and Abdullah Timur needed a parent - if it worked for Olga and her female lover, it could work for us.

* * *

Ciao everyone!


	9. The Roman and The Carthaginian

Alright, we're back for another Ottoman chapter focusing on Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier Fatimah bint Abdul...or are they more at this point? We find that out and more as we visit Ottomans again before returning to Tsarina Anastasia and Tsarevna Yelizaveta for chapter ten, though don't worry, we'll see the Ottomans more often in the last leg of act one as we build up to chapter fifteen, the end of act one. I'm not quite sure where the story is gonna go from here, right now I'm thinking it's gonna be thirty-five chapters with act one being the longest, but I've also made a few adjustments already, for instance, I added a whole new arc to act one which you'll see in a few weeks time, I've added and adjusted the love interests - I'll tell the story of the biggest change at the end, once everything becomes clear - and, for a story that started as testing the waters on fanfiction for EU4 inspired stories with a simple plot of Ottomans v. Russians, it's grown a lot in size and scope, I went in a much more emotional direction with Anastasia than I was expecting but I don't regret it and I've decided to portray The Ottoman Empire in a more sympathetic light than I intended and I think I'll continue to do that. I like this story and there's a lot that I think I can do with it, I'm excited and I hope you are too, now, back to what we're here for - lesbians and cannons...that _is_ why, right?

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome

Chapter IX.

The Roman and The Carthaginian.

* * *

Konstantiniyye, the second Rome, the seat of The Eastern Rome Empire and the site where the mighty Justinian came so close to reestablishing some semblance of The Roman Empire, the site where countless wars were planned and executed, and the site where The Ottomans became an Empire, now, we've surpassed The Byzantine Empire, we have more land now than they had at their height - all of North Africa east of Morocco belongs to us, the seats of all of the Caliphates - Damascus, Baghdad, and Cairo - all belong to us, and we have the advantage of our secular and religious leader being one in the same - my son is Sultan and Caliph, I hold influence in his stead, but one day, one day he will be the most powerful man in the Islamic world, he will truly be worthy of the title Kayser-i Rum. My son was twice a Roman, his father was a Turk representing the third Rome, I was a Greek representing the second, being a Roman puts the weight of centuries on my shoulders, but that's a weight that I'm willing to take, but many of Rome's contemporaries have left their mark on our realm - The Ottoman Empire controls many of the lands that Alexander ruled, including Egypt which was given to his general Ptolemy and Syria which was the last stronghold of The Seleucid Empire, and then there's Tunisia, built on the heartlands of Carthage, Rome's greatest enemy. I guess that meant that Fatimah was a Carthaginian in a way, and I a Roman, but we're not enemies, we're the closest of allies, I am Sultana and she is my Grand Vizier, however, we're powerful and we're together...who could imagine how history would've played out if the Romans and the Carthaginians worked together instead of fighting each other during The Punic Wars? I guess that we'll find out soon enough, Fatimah has plans for Arabia, plans for Russia...hell she could probably come up with a realistic way for us to conquer Scandinavia if she set her mind to it, that's what I loved about Fatimah, she was an evil little genius and that's exactly what I needed - more importantly, she's young, she's energetic, and she'll be more than capable of serving my young son Abdullah Timur once he is of age and ready to rule.

Fatimah's plan for Arabia was the current subject, we already controlled most of the west coast of Arabia along The Red Sea parallel to Egypt, this contained both Mecca and Medina, however, we had plenty of land left to conquer, including The Sultanate of Hormuz, The Sultanate of Yemen, and various smaller Emirates, however, the biggest threat by fair is The Portuguese Empire who maintain a few trade ports in Yemen and Hormuz and control the whole island of Bahrain, they're a major European power with plenty of cannons, plenty of ships, and plenty of money, however, the Portuguese are overextended, they have Brazil, they have ports all along the coast on the way to India, they have ports and concessions as far away as The East Indies, and they're trying hard to conquer Morocco as well, having already taken Ceuta and Tangiers, effectively giving the Iberians control over The Strait of Gibraltar, the Spanish in Gibraltar itself on the north and the Portuguese in Ceuta in the south - that largely prevents us from interacting with the Americas, which the Europeans love as they can have the Americas to themselves and sail around Africa to find the riches of the east, however, with Fatimah's help, I can drive the Portuguese from Arabia and cut a canal through Egypt, allowing us to dominate both the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, that is what will give us the edge over the Europeans.

I admit that I've probably gotten a little too invested in Fatimah's schemes, I know that most of her schemes, while great on paper, may waste a lot of resources and a lot of money that could be better spent elsewhere, however, that didn't change the fact that these ideas were probably the only thing that could propel The Ottoman Empire forward into the modern age - I knew that it was a gamble, I knew that this could end disastrously, and I knew that, as regent, my interest should be in keeping things as stable and as consistent as possible for my son Abdullah Timur, however, I hardly thought at all about my son when I was with Fatimah, when I was with Fatimah, I didn't feel like a mere regent, I felt like the ruler of The Ottoman Empire outright and I feel like I can and should rule over it how I see fit, including taking risks and doing things that may hurt The Ottoman Empire because, if they work, I could be remembered as the greatest ever ruler of The Ottomans. It's a funny thing really, doing the exact same thing may have me remembered as a great or as a terrible, it all depends on whether or not fate is on my side, perhaps history will look back on my reign as the peak of The Ottoman Empire, perhaps it will be the beginning of a golden age, or it might be the event that lead to the Empire unraveling, I don't know, but I will try, I will execute Fatimah's plan for Arabia because I am confident that it will only make my Empire stronger, richer, and more influential, the best part is that it will all be at the expense of our European rivals.

Therefore, Fatimah and I stood together overlooking a map of The Ottoman Empire and our surroundings - the map included all of Europe, Asia up to India, and much of North Africa, terminating just south of The Horn of Africa - this meant that all of Arabia was within our map and we could plan our next move. There are religious divides between our enemies, most of which were Sunni though significant Shia populations exist along The Persian Gulf and also in Yemen along with the presence of Ibadi Islam in and around Muscat, not to mention that all of these Islamic states effectively answer to the Catholic Portuguese, we could exploit that. Once we're at war and, particularly if we score decisive victories, we can probably reinforce our armies with Sunni volunteers - I'd imagine it would take a little more to bring the Shia and Ibadi people to our side but, who knows, perhaps they'll see where the war is going and figure that the best way for their minority populations to survive is to side with The Ottomans and expel the Portuguese. I'll be happy if they think that way, though the truth is that I have no intention on converting anyone, I'm nominally Sunni due to my husband converting me prior to our marriage, but I was born and raised Orthodox and, while I'm not particularly religious to begin with, I feel more Orthodox than Islamic - now, that's not to say that I'm the same kind of Orthodox as the Russians, I answer to The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople who recognizes Ottoman rule rather than to the rouge Patriarch of Moscow, however, it's a tough position, the fact that I was born and raised Orthodox makes me inclined towards religious tolerance, however, my son is the Caliph, he will be the head of Sunni Islam, if I could somehow convert all my subjects to Sunni Islam, that would make him much stronger and his rule would be much more permanent, however, that is one: impossible, and two: trying to do so would ignite the existing religious tensions and could risk tearing the Empire apart, though taking a hard line towards Sunni Islam may be the right move after all considering that our biggest threat at this point is the Orthodox Tsardom of Russia and we're going to go to war against the Catholic Portuguese very soon, should I risk aggravating those populations in order to deny my enemies the chance of using my subjects' religions against me or would trying to do so only drive my people closer to those eager Portuguese and Russian hands? All in all, it seemed safer to just leave religion alone all together, we wanted to conquer Arabia, we wanted to build up regions all around The Ottoman Empire, and we wanted to keep Crimea and our new Caucasian territory, regardless of how much Russia wanted those territories.

If all goes well in Arabia, we'll have a new source of troops and a lot more money thanks to Indian Ocean trade by the time we go to war with The Russians, but, if things drag on in Arabia, we could risk losing both wars if the Russians finish pounding on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and see we're struggling against the Portuguese and their Arabian allies well...well we'd be doomed. I suppose that is why Fatimah wants to push ahead with this war so quickly, the longer we wait the more likely we are to be preoccupied in the south while our Russian neighbors in the north have no better enemy to focus on than ourselves...perhaps it would be better to avoid this war altogether, but that's not an option with Fatimah, Fatimah sees a chance at capturing all of Arabia and she's gonna take it, I know that we can do this, I know that we have the strength to beat Portugal and its allies, I just don't want to be caught off guard by the Russians whilst I'm deep in Arabia fighting our enemies. I can only hope that, despite how devastatingly quickly the Russians overpowered their Polish enemies, I hope that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has left Russia's armies weak enough that they won't want to go to war with us immediately, the more time that The Tsardom of Russia wastes with the Poles and the Lithuanians, the more time that Tsarina Anastasia stalls for before declaring war, the more it benefits us, I don't know if I could stand a chance against the Russians alone, we're stretched out far enough as it is, however, with Fatimah on my side, with her infinitely many plans, and with how she gave Tunis a modern, European-style levy while still maintaining a surplus, all of that means that we have a chance, we can fight a war without worrying about money or about a technological disadvantage, Fatimah can deal with both of those, now it's just a matter of scale.

Russia was going to be a problem, but I think that Arabia will be quite manageable, We can attack from three fronts - we can send an army south from Iraq to attack the eastern coast of Arabia along The Persian Gulf targeting Bahrain and Hormuz, we can send an army east from the Hejaz - the region of western Arabia under our control that contains Mecca and Medina - into Najd, the largest of the states in the interior of Arabia, finally, we can send another army south from the Hejaz into Yemen with the goal of our Iraqi army and our southern Hejazi army meeting somewhere in southeastern Arabia - the southeastern corner of Arabia was probably the strongest resistance to our rule with The Sultanate of Hormuz along with the lesser powers of Oman and Muscat, along with the heaviest Portuguese presence due to their presence in Bahrain and along the coast. I suppose the most economical solution would be to rule the coasts while forcing Najd and the other interior states to become our vassals, that way, we can control Arabia without having to rule over the vast deserts of the interior - I would prefer it that way at least, though taking Najd may solidify our control over the coast - it's hard to say what the right move here is, Fatimah is so passionate, so strong, and so belligerent, however, I can't quite shake the fact that this might not be the smartest move, maybe she's putting that strength and passion in the wrong place, I just don't know. I see the benefits of ruling Arabia, I understand that Fatimah wants to expand our influence over The Indian Ocean, but can't we do that from our coasts on the Red Sea and our small coast at the tip of The Persian Gulf? Especially if we go along with Fatimah's scheme to build a canal connecting the Red Sea with the Mediterranean. Though weakening the Portuguese and truly establishing our dominance over the Sunni Islamic world was another tempting benefit. I suppose that Fatimah's already gotten the ball rolling too much to stop this invasion of Arabia considering that she's already alerted our generals and told them to start drafting battle plans - I could stop it, though at this point, the money is already being wasted and we should just fight to at least push the Portuguese out, grab some more coastline and turn the rest of the peninsula into our subjects, maybe we can go a bit further, maybe annexing the whole peninsula outright will be the best option, I don't know at this stage, the point is that we're clearly preparing for war in Arabia regardless of whether or not it's the best call right now, perhaps this is just how war is - did The Ottomans know they'd end up annexing all of Egypt when they went to war with The Mamluks? Did Alexander know that he'd end up taking all of Persia? Did Rome know that they'd end up annexing all of Carthage? War is a strange thing, maybe this will work how Fatimah wants it to, after all, Russia is taking more than half of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth right now so who is to say that we can't take all of a more fractured and less advanced Arabia? Either way, soon enough, we'll find out, we'll get something out of it one way or another, we're the Roman and the Carthaginian, we won't be beaten.

* * *

I sat in the throne room alone with Olga - the Janissary by day and commoner by night was dressed in her full Captain Draganov garb - she was pacing around the room for whatever reason and she certainly seemed to be on edge. This wasn't about the Levantine coup or anything like that, she would've told me if it was political, it doesn't seem to involve me at all, in fact, I'd wager that this was a personal issue - I wanted to ask what this was about but I wasn't sure if Olga and I were at that stage yet, she had basically become my spy and representative within the Janissaries, however, that didn't mean that she trusted me nearly enough to talk to me about her personal life - she'd trust me even less if I revealed that I already know more than I should know, she has no idea that I know she even has a life outside of Topkapi Palace let alone the fact that I know about her lover. I shouldn't know so much about her, I don't really know why I followed her that day, all it did was make me feel guilty, feel worthless, make me doubt my own abilities - how am I supposed to control an Empire if I can't even control myself? Things are different now though, I have my purpose now - to prepare The Ottoman Empire for my son - and, with Fatimah at my side, that seems so much easier, however, there was still more I wanted to do - I wanted to figure out whatever was wrong with Olga - perhaps that can form the catalyst for turning a working relationship into a proper friendship - and, I wanted something more with Fatimah. I didn't know what I wanted and I didn't know how it would work, however, Olga did know, so perhaps we can trade a secret for a secret - I'll tell her about my feelings for Fatimah, she'll tell me whatever is troubling her - and then we can trade advice for advice - I admit that I get everything I want out of it while Olga just gets to know about my feelings, though perhaps she'll see me telling her something as sensitive as romantic feelings, something as sensitive as my sexuality, as a sign that I do trust her and want her to trust me. I needed something to do while waiting for everything to get into place for the conflict in Arabia after all, perhaps Olga could prove to be both entertaining and informative.

"What's wrong Captain?" I asked, I knew that she wasn't going to tell me but I needed to get the conversation started before making my offer, perhaps keeping my cards close to my chest might end up with me learning more than I could otherwise - though I didn't know how much left there was to Olga's life, quite frankly, one reason why I left Topkapi Palace that day is I never had the chance to see either Theodoro or Konstantiniyye for what they really were, I was a Princess in Theodoro and thus I had obligations and lived a sheltered life, meanwhile, here, I didn't have much freedom at all considering I was just the wife Sultan Suleiman III returned with after his Crimean Campaign, no one expected me to become a regent - mainly since no one expected Suleiman to die so soon and so abruptly - I'd largely attribute this to the backwards Ottoman practice of sons killing their brothers, uncles, and other claimants to get the throne - Abdullah Timur was basically the only one left to be Sultan, everyone else had ever reigned and died, been killed for the throne, or abandoned their claims and abandoned that nonsense altogether, this wasn't sustainable - I'd make sure that my son is raised to hate that law and want to get rid of it, it would only benefit my eventual grandchildren and great grandchildren, I didn't become the Sultan's wife just to see our descendants slaughter each other, they all need to live and achieve great for this damned life in The Ottoman Empire to mean anything - well, that's a bit harsh, I do feel a lot better about being Sultana thanks to being an absolutely beautiful and incredibly energetic Grand Vizier and, if I could be a good person while doing so, that would be fantastic - and that all starts with Olga Draganova.

"I'm fine, my lady," Olga replied a little too quickly, a little too loudly, and with a clearly high-pitched feminine quality to her voice - she was most certainly not fine and she was damn lucky that she and I were the only ones in the throne room right now, she totally lost her cool and she would've blown her cover if there was anyone else here to witness it - I simply raised an eyebrow in reply. I wasn't the funniest person, humor never really had a presence in my life, why would it? I was a Princess and heiress and now I'm a widow and a mother, I don't really have a reason or a background to be funny, however, I knew that simply smirking and raising an eyebrow was a far more powerful response to Olga than any verbal response could've been, and that showed in the awkwardness in her reply to my expression "Okay maybe not everything is fine, but I assure you it won't interfere with my duties."

"With all due respect Captain, this seems to be interfering with your duties quite a bit." I replied as Olga groaned, she really didn't want to be having this conversation right now and especially not with me, not after everything that's happened between us, not after that brutal berating I gave her following our assassination of the former Grand Vizier, I couldn't blame her, still, she could be useful to me right now, she was in a homosexual relationship - granted I wasn't supposed to know that - and I wanted to at least have that as a possibility for myself and Fatimah...though I say that without even knowing if she feels the same way, I'm certainly infatuated with Fatimah but as far as I know, she sees our relationship as purely political. I had never been in love, the marriage with Suleiman III was just to secure my family's safety and I clearly didn't enjoy it - it might be a bit much to say that I wasn't attracted to men at all, but I did feel that way right now, I definitely didn't want a male lover now or any time soon because one: regardless of whether or not I'm attracted to men, I hated sex with them, two: The Ottoman Empire favors males and if I married again my theoretical husband would probably seize the position of regent for himself, now I obviously can't allow that. I did know that I felt something for Fatimah and I did know that she was incredibly attractive - she clearly knew that too considering her low necklines and the fact that, if her dresses have sleeves, they're short enough so as to barely be there, a stark contrast to the typically conservative attire of Islamic women - and I did know that I wanted a parent for Abdullah Timur that wouldn't try and seize power, so who better than the woman who already had more power than anyone outside of the Ottoman royal family could ever hold in Konstantiniyye? It all seemed so perfect on paper, but, much like many of Fatimah's schemes, my scheme to get Fatimah looked a lot easier on paper than it would be in real life, still, it was a prize worth working for.

"It's just personal issues, my lady, nothing you should worry about." I think that Olga intended that second bit to come out harsher than it did, she didn't want to reveal anything more to me but she was was too preoccupied with her thoughts to keep up her composure - last time her voice slipped up, this time she kept the voice disguised but she couldn't manage to keep her tone as definitive as she wanted to. Finally, she sighed and walked closer to the throne, she knew was was failing at getting me off her back and she knew that keeping up appearances wasn't helping. She came up to me where she knew we were private enough that she could use her natural voice and she settled into a more natural posture - despite the armor, despite the padding, despite the hair tied back and hidden away, without the posture, without the well rehearsed voice, without the benefit of doubt on her side, her disguise looked absolutely pathetic, she looked so damn feminine and it seemed more like a silly costume than the disguise she may well have worn more than her actual clothes.

"Look Olga, we all have personal issues, I'm a twenty-one year old mother and widow in charge of the country that conquered my homeland, my only purpose in life is a son who I'm not quite sure I wanted, I'm not sure if I'm Orthodox or Muslim at this point and, quite frankly, I can't say that I fully agree with either religion, I'm about to go to war in Arabia and all the while I have freaking Tsarina Anastasia in the north just waiting for the chance to overrun Crimea and the Caucasus, there's traditionalists trying to murder me, I feel guilty as all hell for yelling at you, I - "

"You feel guilty? Why?" Olga stopped my rant dead in its tracks, she narrowed her eyes at me and I was suddenly very aware of every movement she made, I was very aware of the deadly weapon she had, and I was very aware that I was entirely unarmed. She wasn't going to kill me, I knew that much, but I'd be lying if her glare didn't make that image pop into my head, anyway, she knew something was up and she wasn't going to accept my humanity as an answer, things weren't going according to plan. I intentionally made it come across as an uncoordinated rant but, in reality, I was trying to play my cards close to my chest, I didn't reveal my crush on Fatimah because that would be my secret until Olga reveals whatever the personal issues troubling her are, after all, I still wanted to trade advice for advice, however, in trying to be so calculated, in trying to play my cards close to my chest, I ended up revealing a little too much. I thought that saying I felt guilty wasn't a big deal, I mean I did apologize after all, however, I guess actually saying it, actually putting that out there like it was just nothing, that made a smart woman like Olga Draganova finally wonder why I was so guilty after all, what changed between when I berated her and when I made my first apology attempt? I sat there, in the Ottoman throne, feeling like a dear in the headlights, this wasn't going to be nearly as simple as I thought it was going to be, this wasn't going to work they way that I thought it was. I had two options here, I could do the selfish thing and bury this whole moment under a web of comforting lies and seemingly harmless half-truths, I could do that, we could skip past the drama and steer this conversation back to where I wanted, I could get Olga to tell me she's in a lesbian relationship, feign shock, and help her through whatever personal issues she's going through, personal issues which I already guessed were relationship issues, I could be wrong, but honestly, what else could it be? It's not money issues, I'm sure of that because I gave her a raise without telling her the day of my apology, I did it because I knew she was supporting two and had an apartment on top of that, she probably assumed it was just a bribe to make her like me more, either way, neither of us brought it up. I could guess what was wrong with her, it didn't feel like the most fair bargain, but I needed her advice and the lie didn't seem comfortable, the truth, however, was the risky thing, however, it is the right thing to do, if I'm serious about making it up to Olga after threatening to tear her life apart, I should be honest, I should tell her that I stalked her that one day I left the palace. I learned from it, I did, but I doubted that she was gonna take kindly to that anyway, especially since I've kept it secret for so long - this wasn't going to be easy.

"Because I know more now than I did when I berated you - I know you've got more of a life, more of a future, than I'll ever have here." I admitted, hoping that the second remark could distract her enough that I could get out of having to elaborate, but I knew that it wasn't going to work against Olga, she's a smart woman, she figured out how to save herself from a life in the harem, she figured out how to become a Janissary Captain despite the questions and despite the fact that she couldn't be much older than I am - she probably had to pretend to be a few years younger anyway given her appearance, she had to pretend that she was young enough for Captain Draganov to still have a boyish quality to his appearance, and she was smart enough to question my guilt anyway, she turned my own plan against me. I thought that I'd benefit from getting an insight into her relationship and advice about how to form my own with Fatimah, only giving up the secret that I felt feelings for a woman - I was happy to give her advice since advice would help me bring us together and show her that I truly am sorry for berating her and that I really do want to atone for my actions - instead, I was being forced to give up a secret that I never intended to share to Olga. I suppose that I deserve this, this is my punishment for stalking her and never telling her about it, this is my punishment for thinking that I could effectively trick her into giving me relationship advice, this is my true punishment for berating her in the first place. Tt was almost funny in a way, Olga and I killed a him and, so far, I was in far more trouble over yelling at her afterwards than either of us were for actually murdering Ibrahim Pasha.

"Don't pretend to know me!" Olga shouted unexpectedly, I couldn't believe it, she was angry, she was very angry, but for just a moment, I had another chance, another chance to make a choice - she took this the wrong way, it wasn't the second remark either, Olga probably didn't even listen to it, she probably didn't even really process the first one, she just heard that I assumed to know her and she flipped out. I could take the easy way out once again, I had another opportunity, but was I really going to back out now? Did I make a decision just to give up the very next opportunity? That made it all seem trivial, that wasn't who I needed to be in order to be Sultana of The Ottoman Empire, that wasn't the woman who expertly plotted with her Grand Vizier to rip apart any and all resistance to Ottoman rule in Arabia, that wasn't the woman who would stand up to the mighty Tsardom of Russia and win, I couldn't just worm out of this, Olga is angry at me anyway, she's yelling at me anyway, how much worse could it really get if I told her the truth? I prepared myself to tell Olga that I knew because I stalked her while she yelled at me for the wrong reasons "You berate me and you make assumptions about my life? There's more to me than just my gender, that doesn't define my life, whatever it is you think you know, it's wrong and no amount of apologies or bribes will change that - I know what you're doing too, you're trying to make up for yelling at me because you don't know how to behave like a basic freaking human being!"

"Stop!" I yelled, silencing her - a look flashed in her eyes that reminded her of that day we killed Ibrahim Pasha, I ignored that for now, that wasn't the point right now "First of all, I'm doing my best to be a basic freaking human being considering I was raised as a Princess and I've been thrust into the world of ruling the freaking Ottoman Empire, it's not exactly easy, but I'll spare you that conversation, second of all, I know you have a lover!"

That was enough to freeze Olga, now she was the one who looked like she was stopped dead in her tracks, I knew about the apartment too, I knew about the tears, and I knew that she had a life outside of the palace, the lover mattered more than any of that. I may never have felt love, I may never have felt much of anything but contempt for my husband Suleiman III, but I feel something for Fatimah now and I think that news about her would shock me far more than news about anything else in my life - I know that I shouldn't say this, I know that it probably made me a bad person, and I know that it definitely made me a bad mother, but even without a single kiss, even without a single romantic conversation, even with nothing more than my crush, I think Fatimah is more important to me at this point than even my own son Abdullah Timur. My own thoughts felt like a punch to the gut, was I really this madly in love with a woman? was I really this madly in love with anyone this quickly? was any of this even real? I didn't know, maybe I hated Abdullah Timur and that's the cause of all of this, maybe I'm just clinging to the one person who makes my life easier, maybe I'm just a damned fool, but I think that I still believed that. I can't say that I ever would've had kids if it wasn't for my sacrifice for my family, I saved them and doomed myself, sure I was a Princess and I had to have an heir for The Principality of Theodoro, but I had siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, there were plenty of people who could've taken the throne even if I never had sex with a man, but now I had a son, a son who gave me purpose, a son who was now the Sultan, the Caliph, the Kayser-i Rum, a son who I wanted to love but I don't think that I can say that I love him.

"What did you do to her?" Olga asked, fuming but scared to do anything - wow, did she really think I'd go that far? I know I yelled at her, I know that I threatened her livelihood, and I know that it was an awful thing to do, I just never realized it was so awful that Olga would think that I was a bad enough person to capture her lover and hold that over her head. The thought never even occurred to me, quite frankly, even if I was willing to kidnap people's loved ones to get my way, I didn't have anything to force Olga to do, she already agreed to be my spy and my influence within The Janissary Corps, the only thing else I wanted from her is advice on having a lesbian relationship and kidnapping her lesbian lover isn't exactly the best way to do that - my point is that it hurt to think that Olga, someone who I was working hard to turn into a friend, thought that I was low enough to do something that evil...I really wish I didn't yell at her that day we killed the only Grand Vizier, I think I've actually traumatized her...and the worst part is, while Olga has had to live with that ever since we killed Ibrahim Pasha, since then, in between politics and atoning for what I did, I was falling in love with Ibrahim Pasha's replacement - killing Ibrahim Pasha indirectly brought Fatimah into my life and it also solidified my position as regent - it was one of the best days of my life since coming to Konstantiniyye, meanwhile, it may legitimately be the worst day in Olga's life, I didn't know her that well but the only thing worse I can think of in Olga's life is being ripped away from her family in Bulgaria to become a servant of The Ottoman Empire - it didn't matter if she ended up in the Harem or among the Janissaries, either way, she was a slave of the state.

"Olga!" I shouted, offended that she even thought I would do that, I'm not a perfect person, I'm really, really, really not a perfect person, I'm about to kill a lot of people in Arabia, enemy soldiers mostly but plenty of Ottoman soldiers will be lost, every war has casualties and a war against the Portuguese and their Arabian vassals and clients would not be an exception, a lot of men will be shot, stabbed, and unceremoniously blown to blood, guts, and ash by cannons, but sending soldiers off to war knowing that they could die is nothing like kidnapping someone's lover to intimidate them. I've hurt Olga, there's no denying that, but I didn't think that I hurt her enough to think that, especially given that, other than the mention of not loving my son in a rant, Olga has no idea that the husband who I just lost isn't particularly missed, why would I deny someone of their lover when, as far as she knows, I've just lost the person who I loved? Maybe Olga caught on that Suleiman and I didn't love each other, whether from witnessing his infidelity when she guarded him or from the fact I haven't exactly been mourning him while she's been guarding me - it was far from a happy marriage, but that's beside the point, the point is that I wouldn't do whatever it is that she thinks I've done "I haven't done anything, your lover is exactly where you left her, I'm not threatening you, I'm telling you that I know."

A silence filled the room after that moment, she lit in my words sink in and she calmed herself down while I braced for the inevitable question, however, as I braced myself and braced myself, it never came, we both stayed silent, the tension was practically suffocating but opening my mouth and arguing could lead to outright strangling considering how well this was going so far - all I wanted was to get some damned advice and instead, I've practically burned every bridge that I've managed to build with Olga, granted, I did that with honesty which would either end in a much stronger, much more permanent bridge...or horribly blow up in my face and end up with Olga and I never speaking to each other again - maybe lying would've been easier, maybe, but lying would only make me feel worse about what I've done to Olga, to what I've done to Olga and her lover, especially now that I see there's a lot more lingering pain than I ever expected. I hate to say it but it didn't seem all that bad when I said it, yes I regretted it and yes I wanted to atone for it, but I didn't think that I was atoning for something so bad - I guess it is my fault, I see Olga and I as similar, we're both Orthodox women from lands conquered by The Ottomans who both did what we had to do to survive, I became Suleiman III's wife and she became a Janissary, what she saw is what came next, I became the regent of The Ottoman Empire and thus a symbol of all the oppression, warmongering, and imperialism that comes with any great power, Russia included, however, Olga remained a girl who had to dress as a boy and act like it all day or else she'll be exposed and punished, who knows how. There was a power imbalance, I admit it, it's just that it's a lot less obvious to me considering that I'm the beneficiary of that imbalance, but I guess to Olga, it defined our relationship. I sighed, it would be a nightmare if I fell in love with Olga, I hope that Fatimah doesn't have this kind of mental baggage, I have enough of my own, almost entirely from the last two years.

"How do you know?" the question rang out, it was still angry, however, it was a calm anger - Olga was smart, she no doubt figured out that the explanation is that either I or a spy of mine must have seen her leaving the palace and escaping, now, I wondered what she was expecting next, more importantly, I wondered what she wanted to happy next, she knows the truth, or a close enough version of the truth anyway, however, she also knew that it would be a lot easier for me to lie and try to worm my way out of this. See, earlier, lying would've been the thing to do if my goal was purely to get out of this and go back to the advice, but somehow, I was convinced that the best thing to do was to earn her trust, even if it could burn everything I've tried to build. I didn't know if any of this was getting through to her, the fact that she's not yelling at me anymore is encouraging, but the glare is still there, that glare that's caused me to crumble twice now, that made me feel entirely useless, as if all of this was just digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole I didn't intend to be in, I wanted advice, it seemed fair in my head, even if it saw me getting more than what I was giving, though now, I was being forced to give a lot without having gained anything - I suppose that it is a sort of karma, however, I did intend to give her the best advice that I could for her relationship troubles or whatever else it was that was bothering her, not that I knew very much about her or about her relationship - though the fact that I knew about her relationship to begin with was me knowing too much.

"One day, I left the palace, I got out into the city and I just explored, I try to take it all in and, in the bazaar, I saw you. You were in your fully feminine look, your natural look, and I felt surprised, I don't know if it was curiosity or if I already felt guilty or what, but I saw you and I followed you, I followed you all the way home and I saw you two. I heard you two crying as I walked away." I explained, I tried to explain as honestly as I could, I don't know why I followed and I don't know if it even matters at this point, the point is that I did follow her and I learned my lesson. I saw that there was more to her than just the Janissary who I schemed with who hadn't been entirely honest with me - I overreacted, her true gender had nothing to do with the assassination and she had killed Ibrahim Pasha, it had gone according to plan, but I knew she hadn't been honest with me about her gender and, like an awful fool, I assumed that she must have been dishonest with me about everything else and I ripped into her, now, as I'm trying to get advice for what I should do with Fatimah, I find that first, before I can use her once again, this time for romantic interests, I have to at least try and fix what I've already broken.

"So that's why you apologized." Olga sighed and I nodded "I should be angry, I should, but at least your being honest with me, that much I can appreciate, so, I guess I should at least be honest to you as well. You asked about why I'm so worried today, well most of it, you already know, I'm in a relationship with a woman, the problem is hardly a new one, it's that I'm gone all day and when I'm home, she's too tired for me, it seems trivial, I know, but give it a few days, give it a few weeks, give it a few months, and now it's just wearing me down, I want her the way that I wanted her when we started this damned thing, being so distant makes me feel like the whole relationship is just disappearing in front of me."

I listened intently, part of me hoped that it was government trouble or money or just something that I could solve with little more than the snap of my fingers, however, it was a fully understandable yet heartbreaking experience - I hope that something like that wouldn't happen between myself and Fatimah should this relationship become real, though we at least had the benefit of our jobs practically attaching each other at the hip, she was the Grand Vizier and, due to the regency, I was her Sultana, we worked together to keep The Ottoman Empire going and, so far, we've almost always been together, the only reason she isn't here right now is that she's preparing herself for the war in Arabia, so that does seem like a good sign, however, I know that this kind of thing can happen to the best of people - people get selfish, people get bored of other people, and people get distant, we were strangely loving creatures but, at the same time, we were strangely individual creatures, we craved relationships and affection and love but we also craved distance, perhaps Olga and her lover wanted distance between them, perhaps it really was as mundane as different schedules, but I had to at least try and get a hang of the situation so that I can help.

"Well, I can't say that I've had much experience with love, nor do I have experience with juggling two different lives, but maybe we can find her a position within the Palace? Does she have a job now?" I offered, if the distance is the problem then surely having them together in the Palace during the day and then together at their apartment at night would help - there's probably more to it than that, there's probably a reason why the distance formed to begin with, maybe her lover doesn't want to live with someone living a double life anymore, I didn't know and I felt that the situation was far too delicate to get into that right now - I knew what I knew and Olga knew that I knew, she was confiding in me and I finally got the conversation back to what I wanted it to be, so I bit my tongue and gave advice instead of trying to using my limited knowledge to psychoanalyze Olga, neither of us want that right now. I asked about jobs because there's plenty of ways that someone like Olga's lover could be put to work at Topkapi Palace, perhaps she can help maintain the gardens, perhaps she can be a seamstress, perhaps she can even be a nurse for young Abdullah Timur, there's plenty of jobs here that a young woman can do - there was the harem too but, first of all, I'm not going to tell a woman with a sword that her lover could be a sex slave, second of all, the only reason that the harem still exists is that every Sultan has had it and, quite frankly, Abdullah Timur is gonna have to grow the dynasty so that it's not reduced to one again, so he, more than any Sultan before him, actually needs it.

"She teaches Turkish to Bulgarian children." Olga replied, I smiled, not perfect, but I could work with this, I could help her - the fact that she teaches children means that she must be decent with them, she taught Turkish so she must have a grasp of the language - perhaps I could invite her to be a tutor for Abdullah Timur, though, considering that he's only one, she may have to be a nurse in the meantime. I didn't know what Olga would think about me offering her lover a job like this and I didn't think what Xanthippi would say to having another nurse helping her out, however, I could make Olga properly forgive me and I could finally get the relationship advice I needed to figure out how to make something work with Fatimah. The best part is that, in addition to getting the advice and helping out Olga, who I'd like to consider a friend, I'd also walk away with a clear conscience due to finally admitting to Olga that I stalked her that one day, even though the latter wasn't intentional, either way, I'm glad that I did it and I feel like a better person because of it.

"Perhaps she can be a nurse for Abdullah Timur and then a tutor for him?" I proposed, voicing my thoughts and trying to help Fatimah, this wasn't really advice, more me offering to help her solve her problems, however, I didn't exactly know what else I could do, I couldn't even figure out how to approach a lesbian relationship to begin with, let alone how to fix one. I felt guilty, me threatening Olga must have put a further scar on their relationship, you don't just get fired for lying to someone as powerful as the ruler of The Ottoman Empire, it usually ends in execution and, while I didn't execute her, forcing her to serve me as a spy and a friend within the Janissaries - the worst part is that she became that once I asked her fairly, suggesting that she would've done it to begin with if I had been nice about it instead of snapping at her, especially given that we had just worked together to assassinate Ibrahim Pasha, the former Grand Vizier and the mentor to Spartak Pasha, a man who I suspect that I will see again, though Fatimah and I will be prepared, because Olga will be there, bravely dashing to our defense dressed as Captain Draganov with all of the Janissaries assigned to us - it'll be quite a few considering that I'm the Sultana-regent and she's The Grand Vizier, easily the two most important people in The Ottoman Empire aside from Abdullah Timur himself, though given that he was just a child, I held all the power that he was supposed to have - well in theory anyway, the Sunni Islamic world isn't exactly going to accept religious judgement from me so I can't really say I have the power of the Caliph and the traditionalists aren't happy with me being regent to begin with, though I don't know who exactly they'd prefer, it's all a dame of power I suspect that Ibrahim Pasha had been the leader simply because he was Grand Vizier and now, the leadership is unclear, I'm sure that Spartak Pasha is trying to bring the traditionalist faction under his control, but he's weak, ineffectual, immature, he'll need time to take control and, the more time he takes, the closer Fatimah's investigation and the one the Janissaries are conducting get to figuring out the Levantine coup, what the traditionalists are up to, and I have a lingering feeling that they'll find that the two groups are a lot more connected than we'd like to believe, it all seemed too perfect for Ibrahim Pasha, too perfect until we had him killed.

"She wouldn't do it Helena," Olga sighed, sitting down on the arm rest of my throne, I noticed that she addressed me by name for the first time, I think that she felt a lot more comfortable that way, she could pretend that the throne was just a chair and I was just a regular sheltered woman trying to be her friend and doing a pretty crappy job of it, though somehow, I seemed to be have an effect on her, anyway, Olga continued on, explaining why she knew that her lover wouldn't agree to it "Nikolina wants to help Bulgarian children in this city, I don't blame her either, she wants to give her a luxury we never had, Bulgaria is just another province of The Ottoman Empire and we can either work the land at home or look for work in the city, Konstantiniyye is the biggest and richest city in the Empire, anyone who wants a future is here, she wants to help them and I...well, I gotta be here, I'm a Janissary after all."

"I got it!" I exclaimed, Olga sighed and tried to thank me before telling me that I've already tried enough, Olga didn't want me going out of my way for her and her lover, a woman who I just figured out is named Nikolina, pretty enough name "I'll open a school on the palace grounds for Balkan children to learn Turkish and to learn how to survive and thrive in Konstantiniyye, it'll come across as a benevolent gesture to the people and it will allow you and Nikolina to be a lot closer to each other - I'm not saying that it will stop the distance between you two but it's the best that I can do for you."

"Well...I'm sure she'd at least want to here more - are you serious about this?" Olga asked and I gave a sincere nod in response, she gave me a bit of an awkward smile "Well thank you, I do appreciate that you're trying...I know you've been trying when you've apologized too, I know you've been trying to be honest to me today too, even if I can tell that you really, really wonder if it's a good idea. I guess I'm thankful for all that, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I've noticed all you've done and all that you've tried to do. I'm angry and resentful and I'm not a very good person, I don't think that you are either, but I can see that you're putting effort into it so I guess I might as well put effort into it too - I forgive you for everything, the stalking, the yelling, everything, at this point, I think I owe you one on top of that, even if I don't, go ahead, I'll give you one."

"I'm glad you did, because this _is_ something that I need..." I smirked and started telling Olga about the situation and she gave me advice, she gave me pretty good advice too, I was ready to put it to good use.

* * *

"Hello Fatimah," I greeted my Grand Vizier the next day, putting Olga's advice into action, the Janissary had been helpful, probably more helpful than I was to her, but that school idea has me interested anyway, I guess it's my lingering sympathy for people that have been conquered by The Ottoman Empire, I was more like them than I was to my Turkish predecessors and my Turkish son, I wanted to give them a school, it would be charitable and it would ensure that, traditionalists or no, I can at least get the Greeks, the Slavs, the Armenians, and other victimized populations within The Ottoman Empire solidly on my side by providing them with more compassion and with more opportunities than they've gotten before, I could also get the Arabs to support me since, for the first time ever perhaps, The Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire was an Arab rather than a Turk or a European, I could form a coalition of non-Turkish people from throughout The Ottoman Empire to support my rule against the Turkish traditionalists, in fact, I could even try and separate the Turkish traditionalists from their likely allies, the Arabic Levantine bodyguards who had my husband and predecessor killed. Enough about the school and its implications though, I had a schoolgirl crush to act on and it was a hell of a lot more fun than dealing with politics or trying to bridge divides within The Ottoman Empire.

"Hello my Sultana," Fatimah greeted, the now familiar smirk rising on her face - it was too early to say that she felt the same way or if she even considered romance a possibility, but she definitely seemed to appreciate my presence, I smirked too, it wasn't huge, it wasn't definitive, but it was a good sign and a good sign is all the motivation I needed to continue. There was a look in Fatimah's beautiful brown eyes, she something and she was expecting something, but I didn't see any dread, I didn't see anything that could stop me, I only saw good things, though I wondered what she could see in my own brown eyes - did she see the excitement, did she see the lust, did she see the feeling that I hesitated to call love but I knew it was far more than I ever felt for my husband, it was far more than I ever felt for my son, it was far more than I felt for anyone else in the world, did she see that? I hope she did.

"You don't have to call me that Fatimah, Helena is fine." I replied, I wanted to hear her call me Helena, I wanted to hear how it sounded on her lips so I could imagine her screaming it to the heavens as we laid in bed together - that reminded me of the fact that I didn't exactly know what I was doing, with Suleiman III, I pretty much just laid down and felt dirty...I hope it wasn't like that with Fatimah, that would kind of ruin everything...wouldn't it? I didn't want to admit that a good portion of my feelings for Fatimah were lust but there was a lot of lust involved, lust which she certainly wasn't helping with the way that she dressed, there are people in The Ottoman Empire who would beat her for dressing like that, not that I was complaining - in fact, I've even started to dress more like she did, I didn't bother my head anymore and my neckline got lower and lower while my sleeves got shorter and shorter with every new dress I wore, I felt better each time I did it too, I felt radiant, I felt desirable, and I felt like I could even make someone like Fatimah drool - I couldn't help but glance at her low neckline or brush my hand against the smooth caramel colored skin of her bare arms as we walked together, planning the downfall of Arabia. It was diabolical, in a sort of sexy way, how we could so easily and so happily plan a war, especially given her excited she was and how cute that smirk looked on her face.

"Okay..._Helena_." I raised an eyebrow for the second time today, the first time, I was trying to be funny, this time, it wasn't about humor, it was about how she said my name, like she knew exactly how I wanted to hear it and like she knew that I wanted her to scream it as she reaches her zenith, it was an intoxicating thought, but it suited her, she was an intoxicating woman after all. Fatimah knew what she was doing, she was a very smart person, she had paid close attention to me in the time that we've spent together, and she was on the same page as I was. Fatimah liked me too, I was a little more excited than I thought I was going to be, I knew that I wanted this, I knew that I would marry Fatimah if I were a man, but I never thought that it would've felt this good to actually know that my feelings were reciprocated, I felt good knowing that I didn't have to be a man and I didn't have to marry her to get to have something with her, we could have something together just the way that we were and we were both willing to do it.

"That's good..._Fatimah_." I said her name with the same fiery passionate intent as she said mine as we neared closer to one another, she put her hands out in front of her for me to grab as she giggled nervously - neither of us were really good at this but neither of us cared, we were good enough for each other and that's all that mattered to us, the rest we'd manage as we go - I liked that we were closer together, I could feel her hot breath against my skin and I knew that she felt my breath on her, I saw her eyes flash as she imagined my breath on her in slightly different circumstances, I giggled, but I didn't blame her either, I imagined that too..I must say that hovering over a naked Fatimah is an image that I like, that I _really_ like.

"Kiss me, _my Sultana_." Fatimah ordered, even now I could tell that it was a cliche line, but the way she ordered it, the way that she called me Sultana, the desire motivating it, that made up for the cliche, that made me want to listen to that line over and over and over again, she was very hard to refuse. Of course, I didn't refuse, I closed my eyes and, just as quickly, I closed the distance between us. It was a good kiss, it was a really good kiss, Fatimah opened her lips and moaned into my mouth as I took the chance to slip my tongue in, it felt a thousand times better than anything my husband ever did for me, it felt a thousand times better than the rough and sloppy and horrible sex we had, and it certainly felt a lot better than him not even being there as I gave birth to his son, Suleiman III didn't even see his son until three weeks after he was born, he didn't even have the excuse of being at war with Persia at the time. There would be none of that with Fatimah, she was mine and I was hers, together, we formed the most powerful couple in The Ottoman Empire, perhaps the most powerful couple in the world - I liked being half of the most powerful couple in the world.

"You know, when you say it like that, I don't really mind you using my title." I told her when we finally broke off the kiss, the ever annoying need for air got in the way as it tends to, not that I minded much, I enjoyed pressing my body against Fatimah as we both gasped for air, it let my imagination do diabolical things that I didn't mind a single bit.

"Well, what will you give me to say it again?" Fatimah asked as I wrapped my arms around her waist, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and I backed her into the wall, knocking over a painting of some former Grand Vizier, I didn't care, the only Grand Vizier I cared about was right in front of me, I kissed her again before answering, stepping on the face of the former Grand Vizier in the process.

"I'll give you all of Arabia on a silver platter." I groaned before biting her bottom lip - it was hardly elegant, but it felt good - I wasn't going to have sex with her, not tonight anyway, it was too early and I don't know if I'm ready for that yet, but I was more than content to do virtually everything else with her today, so was she as she raised her leg against my body as much as she could - she was doing her best to push our hips together despite the long skirts - neither of us cared much for modesty at this point, but showing leg was a step too far for even the most risque of women within The Ottoman Empire, not that I cared, I'd see all there is to see of Fatimah and then some sooner rather than later, that was certainly a motivation to start end finish the war in Arabia quickly.

"Make it gold," she demanded as I turned off of her face and started kissing her neck, truth be told, I didn't have much idea what I was doing, but I was doing what felt natural and, based on Fatimah's reaction, I was doing something right. I liked Fatimah being demanding, I liked pleasing her, and I couldn't wait for the day that she'd be pleasing me...something tells me that it's closer than either of us are expecting, neither of us are particularly patient and neither of us care much for restraint, tonight was too early, tomorrow was still probably too early, but the day after tomorrow? I didn't think that was all that early, people have certainly done things earlier than that and it doesn't matter anyway, I'm the Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire and she's The Grand Vizier, if we want to screw each other a little early we'll screw each other early, who's going to stop us and if we get caught having lesbian sex in The Ottoman Empire, then, quite frankly, we'll have bigger problems than doing it a little too early.

"Done," I said as my hands rolled up and down her sides, my thumbs tracing her hip bone, coming up her stomach and resting just below her breasts before heading back down, moving my hands between the two places that they wanted to touch most. Silver platter, gold platter, it doesn't matter, I'll burn Arabia to the ground and reshape the whole peninsula in her image if that's what she wants.

"Thank you, _my Sultana_." Fatimah purred into my ear as I kissed down her neck all the way down to her neckline and then I made a trail of kisses along the top of her dress - I wanted more, of course I did, who wouldn't want more hearing her purr that title like that, hot breath against my ear, and sending shivers down my spine, all the while her hands rode down until they found my rear, I liked Fatimah, she didn't play games, she wanted Arabia, she wanted North Africa to feed an Empire, and she wanted me, I was going to give her all of it - how could I possibly refuse?

"You're welcome, _my Grand Vizier_." I replied, giving her the same treat - she seemed to like it just as much as I did and I certainly didn't mind, we both had titled and we'd both use each other's titles - this was fun, a little too fun. I shoved the fallen painting of some Grand Vizier away with my foot, the broken glass frame was being annoyingly noisy and neither of us wanted to hear that, we'd rather hear the ragged breathing, the soft moans, the hungry, passionate groans...it was lustful, it was a little too lustful, but we could've started this the day that I named Fatimah my Grand Vizier, at this point, I'd say that we should've started it far earlier, but right now, all we can do is make up for lost time.

Soon enough we left the hallway as we headed towards my royal bedchamber - we may not be having sex, but there was no reason why we couldn't sleep together, as we left the hallway, I looked down a corridor at Olga, she was dressed as Captain Draganov and she made sure that this section of Topkapi Palace was cleared of anyone else, it was just the two of us and her acting as a guard in case something happened, I mouthed a thank you. I suppose that I should be worried about the painting, I didn't care, I didn't know who the painting was of and I doubted that half of the tutors that taught Ottoman history could recognize him from just the portrait, nor did it matter, it I was the Sultana, Fatimah was the Grand Vizier, we were together in more ways than one and, together, we'd overshadow any past Grand Vizier or past Sultan so much that people won't even remember the person, let alone the painting itself. Screw the past, it was time for our future.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been chapter nine of The Legacy of The Romans and I was pleasantly surprised to see it turn out longer than I had been expecting, consider it a little treat! Next time we see The Ottomans, they'll be at war with the Portuguese and their Arabian allies, meanwhile, chapter ten is gonna be a Russia chapter returning to Tsarina Anastasia and Tsarevna Yelizaveta as they being The Siege of Warsaw. I'll see you then!

I love you all, peace out!


	10. The Treaty of Warsaw

So, here we are, chapter ten, we've reached the end of the war between The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Tsardom of Russia! I'm thinking about extending the story a bit and adding some chapters of peace time at the beginning of act two, let's tentatively say that chapters sixteen through twenty will be peaceful and then with chapter twenty-one will get us to the war between The Ottomans and Russia which will take us through act two, another peaceful interlude will begin act three and then we'll start the ending arc. Anyway, let's go!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter X.

The Treaty of Warsaw.

* * *

Hellfire rained down all around us as darkness fell over Warsaw, that wasn't stopping us yet, the fire was raging within the city and their cannons were firing from their bastions, lighting our target up like it was broad daylight while darkness covered our cannons, we'd keep this going for a few more hours, we were going to show the Poles that we were relentless, we were going to make them think that there was no rest, no mercy, and no escape. The earth shook from the near constant bombardments - at this point, we were using almost as many Polish cannons as Russian ones, between the ones we've captured from their armies and the Russian cannons we've lost as we've pressed forward, whether they were damaged, captured, or we just had to abandon them, but, thanks to Polish replacements and plenty of captured ammunition, we still had Warsaw surrounded and we would still take the city. We've already occupied the parts of the city outside of the walls but the richest, most protected parts of Warsaw await, their Palaces await, and the Prussian King of Poland Jan II. Johann von Konigsberg did a good job of stalling us, we had to fight through palisades, fortifications, and traps in a brutal game of urban warfare through the outer city of Warsaw just to get to these walls - it had been even worse than Kiev, however, unlike Kiev, these defenders are strong, highly motivated, and they're supplied with a lot of artillery - we were being bombarded with just as much, if not more cannonballs than we were dishing out, but that would all change soon enough, Warsaw was surrounded, the last bastion of Polish resistance - sure there were troops and fortifications in Konigsberg and in Vilnius, but Poles, Prussians, Silesians, Lithuanians, and even some Ruthenians and Byelorussians still loyal to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth knew that, if Warsaw fell, the war was over, so they all came to defend the Polish capital, the last obstacle in my path to adding Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia to The Tsardom of Russia, the last obstacle in my path to getting another major port from which I can challenge Ottoman dominance over The Black Sea, the last obstacle in my path to returning the rule of The House Rurikovich to Kiev, a glorious restoration.

Finally, the cannons stopped for the night as General Mikhailovich, General Feodorov, and General Perevernykruchenko let their troops rest for the night, meanwhile, the Poles and the Lithuanians inside of Warsaw worked quickly to put out the fires inside of their walls and to patch up their defenses as much as they could. Meanwhile, I moved to retire for the night - one benefit of sieging down a proper city like Warsaw is that there's apartments and homes outside of the walls, meaning that Yelizaveta and I had a bed and a room to sleep in instead of a mere cot - it wasn't the best bed, not even close, but a crappy bed was significantly better than a mere cot - we could've gotten two bedrooms, but we're weak people with feelings that we can't seem to squash, so now, we're in an actual bed, still spending every night intertwined with each other to humor these feelings and take the edge off of them before they get overwhelming. I doubt it's the best solution, I find myself getting more and more excited every time I'd about to share a night with my little sister and I hate myself for it, this is making the feelings worse even if it's keeping us from doing something that we couldn't ever take back. I wish I could get somebody to help us through this, though that would require telling someone about this, which means that, first of all, I'd need to find someone who won't bristle at the idea of homosexuality, second of all, I'd need to find someone who won't bristle at the idea of sibling incest, third of all, I'd need to find someone who could accept both of those - I'd be lying if I said that was an easy criteria to fulfill, I couldn't exactly drop that bombshell on my mourning mother and I didn't want to tell Sofiya either, for a variety of reasons - I don't want Sophie to know at fifteen that preserving our royal line is exclusively her responsibility at that point and I also felt that it was downright weird to tell my sister that I have feelings for my other sister. I wasn't exactly going to tell any Muscovite nobles or the servants, beyond my family and those serving us, which includes the military, there aren't many people that a sheltered young Tsarevna turned Tsarina to talk to honestly - perhaps that's the reason that I developed feelings for Yelizaveta, she's the closest person to my age that I know and she's the only attractive woman I've been around since I've become aware of my feelings - maybe this isn't freakish, maybe this is just a product of circumstance, it must be, we[re filled with adrenaline due to this war and we have a sisterly bond, without our minds as filters, our bodies connected one night and then again and again, maybe there's nothing there after all, maybe we can just go back to Moscow and make this whole situation disappear, we can go back to being normal.

I winced at that, I wasn't happy about these feelings, incest was disgusting, but it felt weird to call loving my sister abnormal - I mean yes, it was an abnormal way of loving her but hopefully it's just a phase that can be buried in the pages of history, hopefully Yelizaveta and I will be happily chatting with each other accompanied by our respective lovers and we'll be able to laugh over this incident, the silly little false crush we shared during our brief invasion of Poland, but right now, it didn't feel like a false crush and it didn't feel like it was abnormal, it felt dangerously real when a soft moan escaped from my lips as Yelizaveta adjusted her leg, causing the inside of her thigh to rub against my own, it felt dangerously real when Liz smirked before remembering that this, regardless of how good it felt, regardless of how good it could feel, wasn't a good thing, and it felt dangerously real when I realized I liked the feeling. I sighed and got comfortable, as stressful as the situation was, at least Liz and I had no trouble falling asleep in each other's arms.

"Good night Liz," I whispered as I felt the warm embrace of sleep come over me.

"Good night Nastya," Liz replied, it was the last thing that I heard that day, we're both weak, we said we didn't want this, we knew we didn't want this, but our best solution was to let a controlled version of it happen, we still slept wrapped up in each other, and we still did it wearing nothing but the shortest of night gowns. I didn't want to feel this way for my sister, but there's a part of me, a small part, but a powerful part, that didn't not want to feel this way for my sister. Sleep soon silenced these thoughts and soon it all faded away until I just felt warm, safe, and comfortable.

* * *

I woke up before Yelizaveta the next morning and I managed to get out of bed without disturbing her - that nagging voice in my head would've rather stayed in bed, but I prefer not to listen to voices that tell me to do incestuous things - I sighed, I wasn't even sure if that was true anyway. I looked out at the scenes ahead of me from the balcony of the apartment, some early bird opportunist troops were already taking the chance to look good by preparing for another day of laying siege to Warsaw, I couldn't see the Polish positions from the apartment - the apartment that my sister and I requisitioned was facing away from the walls of Warsaw, that was to protect us in case their cannons missed their target and hit these apartment building, I obviously didn't want to get blown up and I especially don't want to see my sister and heiress getting blown up- but I'd imagine that our enemies had a long and restless night, it's hard to sleep knowing that no help is coming and that the war is going to cripple their country, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

I heard Yelizaveta getting up behind me and I mumbled a greeting to her, she replied before getting dressed and joining me on the balcony - mornings have been awkward lately, it's the feeling of being mad at ourselves for what happened last night and still having no solution, all the while knowing that, when it comes time to lay together in bed again tonight, neither of us will really want to come up with a different solution either. I'm the Tsarina of Russia, I'm leading a war against the Poles and the Lithuanians, I should have bigger things to worry about than this, but my relationship with my sister was tearing me apart, I wanted for us to love each other like sisters, not like lovers, I wanted things to go back to how they were, I wanted to go back to Moscow and pretend that this never happened.

The morning passed by without much event, neither of us had much to say anymore, both of us knew where our feelings were and both of us knew that those feelings weren't good, we didn't want to talk about that because it would only end up disappointing us and we didn't want to discuss anything else because we knew that the conversation would just find a way to return to our feelings. We went through the motions of the morning and, soon enough, we were observing The Siege of Warsaw, watching as the cannons wore the city down, watching as the defenders lost food, lost time, and lost hope, all the while, we were reinforced by extra ammunition, extra troops, and extra cannons whenever it was necessary as our supply lines finally caught up to us, it was only a matter of time now. Jan the Prussian wasn't a slouch, but his country was outmatched and he became King of Poland far too late to have any effect, now, there's not much that he can do given that he's trapped inside of Warsaw, he can only hold out for as long as he's able to, he knows that the war is already lost, but, like a typical German, he has too much pride to admit it, therefore, he keeps fighting and fighting even as Russian soldiers are overrunning his capital.

A section of the city walls collapsed that morning due to the bombardment but the rubble was too high to scale and the Poles and Lithuanians quickly responded by setting up palisades - this time not to shatter, but rather to support the rubble so that it doesn't collapse - but it didn't matter much, rubble was rubble, it was never going to be as strong as a proper wall and our cannons blasted the rubble apart and the palisades that our enemies put up made next to no difference, if anything, it harmed the Poles and the Lithuanians because they wound up getting blasted with splinters of their own wood, we had an opening and our men charged through the gap, however, the Prussian King of Poland didn't give the order to surrender, not yet anyway, thus, it turned into more urban fighting. The urban fighting started organized, with pike squares neatly fighting each other with ordered exchanges of shot from their guns and stabs from their pikes, however, as with all urban battles, it quickly deteriorated into something far less organized, it turned into a bloodbath as soldiers faced off with swords, with the butts of their guns, and even with their bare hands when all else failed, organization fell away on all sides but we had more numbers and we stayed more composed than the Poles and the Lithuanians - though that wasn't saying much, especially as many of those who fought with Jan II deserted him, particularly the Ruthenians and Byelorussians, I'd imagine that any mercenaries that lasted this long took the opportunity to disappear too - it was a bloodbath, it was far from pleasant, and it left a lot of dead bodies in the heart of Warsaw, but eventually, the Prussian realized that he was only hurting his own men and he surrendered, as I knew he would.

"Thank you generals, you've done your part." I smiled at them and shook hands with them individually, first Feodorov who had lead our infantry from Tsaritsyn to The Black Sea to Kiev and all the way to Warsaw, second Perevernykruchenko who gave me my reason for starting this war and who brought the Cossacks of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to our side, and finally, Mikhailovich, I didn't agree with him, not always, and he got quite angry with me in Kiev, but between what he's taught me in this war and what he can teach me in the next war against The Ottomans, I may become a decent commander in my own right after all, these men were good to me and I'm sure that they'll serve The Tsardom of Russia again very well in the near future "Now, if you'll excuse us, Yelizaveta and I must change and meet with The King of Poland, it's time for us to play our part."

Yelizaveta and I returned to our apartment and I felt better than I did in the morning, soon we'd be back in Moscow and soon enough we'll have all this solved, we'll both find women to love and we'll both forget all about this little crush, Liz seemed to have a pep in her step too, why shouldn't we? We've won the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and we did it way quicker than anyone could've expected - sure most of that is due to Poland being utterly unprepared for a war, their star forts were poorly maintained, and it seems that, by the time we reached Minsk really, a significant portion of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had basically just given up, I wasn't sure why, but this weakness is exactly why I intend to turn Poland into a protectorate of The Tsardom of Russia, they'll be independent and they'll have internal anatomy, but their interactions with the outside world will go through a Russian filter and Russia will get a lot more involved in who The Sejm elects as King of Poland. In any case, I put on an elegant golden dress with black, red, white, blue, and even purple trim on it - many of the colors appeared on the Russian coat of arms and the purple and gold also referenced the fact that we're The Third Rome - meanwhile, Yelizaveta wore a red and white dress with a golden belt with red and purple trim around her waist - the red and white was a reference to the coat of arms of The Grand Principality of Muscovy, though they coincidentally are also the colors of Poland and Lithuania, meanwhile, the belt once again wore the colors of The Third Rome. I smiled, we looked good together and we had an aura of power to ourselves, we were the blonde, blue-eyed autocrats of Russia wearing the colors of our country and we were about to reshape Moscow in our image using the riches of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gained from this crippling treaty.

"You look determined, you'll have them scared by the time we sit down at the negotiating table." Liz grinned, she saw our appearance too and she liked it just as much as I did, but there was something more to it, she was holding something behind her back "There's just one thing missing."

Yelizaveta revealed my dress crown and placed it on my head, adjusting my hair and making sure that it was perfectly straight and completely flawless, Liz was the perfect sister, she was helpful, she was a genius, and she was the perfect person to accompany me to the negotiations with Poland, even if she wasn't experienced in politics - she was educated in politics, just as much as I was, so that counts for something, but it doesn't matter anyway, Yelizaveta is a fast learner - together, we were unstoppable, therefore, we left the apartment, the Tsarina and the Tsarevna, the two most powerful women that The Tsardom of Russia has ever seen, both of us were about to rip The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in two with us getting the larger piece outright and the smaller piece becoming our glorified puppet, the Poles and the Lithuanians could only hope they'd have someone like us in charge soon enough, otherwise, they'll be forced on a path that only leads to them being reduce to oblivion, either way, we had won, we had defeated our main rival in eastern Europe.

* * *

We entered the negotiation rule in Warsaw's Palace, the Prussian King sat resigned yet dignified at the head of the table flanked by two German guards, negotiating alongside of him were a general - he seemed to be Lithuanian, likely representing the Grand Duchy at the table, he wasn't going to be happy about this given that The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was going to lose the vast majority of its land while The Kingdom of Poland wasn't actually going to lose a thing - the two states were in a Union but it wasn't all that long ago that The Grand Duke of Lithuania inherited Poland, not the other way around, still, Poland became the dominant partner with Polish nobles electing The King of Poland and Lithuania naming whoever was elected as Grand Duke, Poles additionally settled all over Lithuania's territory while Lithuanian settlement in Poland was far, far lower, even the capital of Warsaw was in Poland, though, Warsaw was admittedly closer to Lithuania than Krakow had been. The person sitting to the right however, was a young blonde woman with one green eye and one hazel eye - she couldn't have been older than me, she had to be in her later teens though, she was somewhere between Yelizaveta's age and my own - I wasn't sure was a heterochromatic Polish teenager was doing at the negotiating table, though I must admit, I was intrigued. Jan II stood to greet us, he wore the red and white garb of the Polish royalty with a red cloak around him that was lined with white and gold, on top of his head stood the crown of Poland, surrounding his head, only allowing his neatly trimmed gray beard to escape from beneath it, he must have been balding, that hinted at stress - I smirked, being my enemy was a stressful occupation.

"Tsarina Anastasia," he bowed, he was defeated "You have beaten us, we are prepared to negotiate a treaty that will be pleasing to The Tsardom of Russia while fair to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, to represent the multinational nature of my state, I shall represent the Germans of my realm, both Prussians and eastern settlers, my friend General Kazimieras Kaminskas, he is a General from a Lithuanian family of Polish origin, he will represent The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, meanwhile, this, is Krystyna Wlodzislawa, she is a Polish teenager who had been a ward to Sigismund Augustus, she is descended from both The Prince of Transylvania and the last King of Bohemia prior to Habsburg rule, she has noble blood and she insisted to be a part of this negotiation despite being only seventeen."

The King of Poland was trying to be diplomatic so as to not air out Poland's dirty laundry in front of her greatest enemy, but he clearly didn't like this Krystyna and I found that very intriguing, I'm assuming that she enjoyed certain privileges as the ward of Sigismund Augustus and, now that the Wasa King is no more, she has fought hard and leveraged her noble blood - and the claims that come with such a prestigious descent - to claw some of those privileges back, much to the chagrin of Jan II who, I'd imagine, would prefer to stock his realm with his own militarized Prussian allies rather than the Poles and the Lithuanians, but he is at war and he is severely disadvantaged against us Russians, therefore, his biggest priorities are keeping the peace, keeping his realm together so that he can salvage something after this war, and keeping his country's pride even if he most lose a lot of land, a lot of gold, and a lot of its independence. The Prussian King knew he would have to make vast concessions, but he would fight on every single point, if he got me to bend every once, if he got one ounce of success out of this negotiation, it would be a victory for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth after this horrible, crushing defeat. I didn't mind, I was up for a challenge, The Prussian King was going to fight for Poland and for Lithuania, but I fight for Russia, I've beaten them on the battlefield and now I'll beat them on the negotiating table, I wasn't going to accept anything less than the reconquest of all lands that had once been Russian, I wasn't going to accept anything less than enough money to rebuild Moscow in my image and to settle the steppes of southern Russia, I wasn't going to accept anything less than Poland becoming a loyal Protectorate of The Tsardom of Russia, meaning that Warsaw, Krakow, and Vilnius will not fall into the hands of Sweden, The Holy Roman Empire, or The Ottomans, they will belong to me.

"King Jan," i nodded but I did not bow, nor did I smirk, I knew I was in a victorious position here and I knew that I could be arrogant "This is my sister and heiress, Tsarevna Yelizaveta. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, as well as you General Kaminskas, and of course, it is an honor to meet you Lady Krystyna, a woman with claims to places such as Bohemia and Transylvania is not to be trifled with."

I heard a sharp inhale from Jan II, it _is_ a touchy issue after all, perhaps I could exploit that, perhaps I could make this negotiation process tedious enough that Jan II loses his resolve, perhaps I could just leave it alone altogether, I had options, either way the war was already done and I would get what I wanted whether or not I needed to exploit the divide between the King and this intriguing noblewoman. A thought occurred to me, a thought that was completely inappropriate here at the negotiating table but it also seemed to be exactly what I needed to solve my half of the issue between myself and Yelizaveta, Krystyna is definitely a beautiful young woman with her differently colored eyes and if she's determined enough to force her way into this negotiation table, we at least have that in common, it's clear that Jan II doesn't want her here, and I could definitely benefit from having a woman with lofty foreign claims and a connection to the Polish nobility, maybe I can ask her to accompany me to Moscow and maybe we can work something out that will make me happy and then, I can concentrate on helping Yelizaveta find someone to make hers happy, at that point, these feelings will be nothing more than a bad memory from when we were just stupid little teenagers. I totally wouldn't mind forging a relationship with Krystyna, though obviously, I have to figure out if she's even attracted to women or not first and second I need to figure out if she wants to have a relationship with me, but if all goes well, I'll be very happy once this treaty making is over and I return to Kolomenskoye.

"I appreciate the compliment, Tsarina, it is unfortunate that two powerful Slavic women should find themselves on opposite sides." Krystyna told me before we all sat down, Jan II glared at her but she glared right back - there was definitely more to this than either The Prussian King or Poland or the seventeen year old noblewoman was letting on, then I remembered that she had been a ward of the last King...perhaps Sigismund Augustus intended for her to be elected as King of Poland - Poland still calls their female rulers King, I'm not quite sure why - and Grand Duchess of Lithuania but then The Sejm didn't trust a teenage girl to lead The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through a war...a war against a teenage girl, mind you, but the point is that there's definitely a reason why these two don't like each other and why Krystyna has to throw around her political clot to get anywhere.

"I think it's time that we begin," Jan II decided sharply, putting an end to my little chat with the intriguing Polish noblewoman, he then made sure that the scribes were ready before opening negotiation talks "Fighting has ended in Warsaw and it's time to put an end to this war altogether, we have faced your armies time and time again despite often lacking in numbers, lacking in equipment, and lacking in infrastructure, I am proud of the bravery of men, I am proud of my commanders and my generals, and I am proud of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, my predecessor fought and died in this war and I only wish that I had enough time to modernize the troops and honor his legacy, I know that this treaty will be painful, but I will ensure that it is at very least honorable and respectful to what my country has done. Without further ado, I'm ready if you are Tsarina Anastasia, shall we begin?"

"Let's begin." I replied, glancing at Yelizaveta briefly, Liz was with me and she was attention "The first order of business is the annexation of Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia, this includes the cities of Kiev, Minsk, Ochakiv, Brest, and Poltava, the lands of the nobility will be seized by the crown and reassigned amongst Russian, Ruthenian, and Byelorussian nobles, all Polish military installations, fortifications, and castles in this area shall be seized as well, as will any goods left in these places once the Poles and the Lithuanians have evacuated. The next tax collection will be conducted by Russian tax collectors even if the majority of the term was during Polish and Lithuanian rule, the crops will be collected by Russians, and we take on the responsibility of rebuilding the damage done by this war - admittedly, your money will help, we'll get to the monetary demands later."

"What do you think?" Jan II asked his General and the noblewoman, we wanted to make sure both of those groups were accepting of the treaty, I somewhat understood why, he was out of place given that he was a Prussian in a country dominated by Poles and Lithuanians - even if the population was more diverse than that, even in the territories we're annexing, in addition to Ruthenians and Byelorussians, we will have Tatars, we will have Jews, we will have Polish and to a lesser extent Lithuanian settlers, we will have eastern Germans, and we will have all kinds of barely traceable minorities on top of that, however, the Lithuanians have certain privileges and the Poles are by far the strongest force in the united state. I glanced back and forth at the General and the noblewoman, Kaminskas didn't look happy about it at all while Lady Krystyna didn't consider this to be a battle worth fighting for, she knew that the land was as good as lost anyway since the Cossacks rose up in revolt thanks to the influence of our General Perevernykruchenko, a Cossack general is a very useful ally, that is why he carries a fair amount of clout in Moscow despite seeming rather out of place in the large Russian capital.

"With all due respect, Tsarina Anastasia, I believe that the annexation disproportionately affects The Grand Duchy of Lithuania." General Kaminskas spoke up, he did have a point, Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia had all been a part of The Grand Duchy of Lithuania when the two states united together, in fact, given that we had already taken back Smolensk from Lithuania during the reign of my father Tsar Aleksander I, this war would reduce The Grand Duchy of Lithuania to just Lithuania itself, this would only further tip the balance of power within The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to the Polish part of the union - I understand why the Lithuanians felt that they were getting the short end of the stick here, however the fact is that Lithuania expanded into lands which were historically Russian, culturally East Slavic, and religiously Eastern Orthodox, they should've known that this was going to happen sooner rather than later.

"_With all due respect_, General Kaminskas, the Lithuanians took advantage of the power vacuum left behind by The Mongol Empire and their successor states, Kiev and the land surrounding it had been the heart of Russian civilization prior to the invasions, your ancestors were opportunistic, it was impressive, and you got a lot stronger because of it, but The House Rurikovich was always going to return to Kiev one day. Don't lament that you're losing it, enjoy the fact that you had all of that land to begin with, don't fight over an inevitable loss." Yelizaveta interjected, beginning with an icy cold tone and raising a very good, very educated, and very accurate point, Kiev was our city and, even after nearly two-hundred years of Lithuanian occupation, we are going to return, that is non-negotiable, I will gladly return to the battlefield if that's what it takes to get the Lithuanians to give up Kiev, it's not like we're going to lose the war at this point, we can siege down the rest of Poland's fortified cities, we can take the fight north to Konigsberg and fight in The Prussian King's only home city, we can burn Vilnius itself to the ground if that's what it takes to make the Lithuanians give up, we've won this war and it's very clear what we want.

"I suppose you have something to say too, Lady Krystyna?" Jan II sighed and reluctantly turned to the Polish noblewoman, however, surprising to him, but not to me, Lady Krystyna shook her head - I could see it in her beautifully different eyes that she was willing to sacrifice the lands that Russia wanted, she knew that resisting would result in us annexing it anyway and demanding a greater financial burden from the Poles and the Lithuanians - Krystyna was a smart woman, she knew that this war was lost the moment that it was declared, what Poland had to do is cut their losses and use all their resources to modernize their military, simplify their government, strengthen royal power, unite the various peoples, and keep me and The Tsardom of Russia happy while quietly working to slip away from us - now, obviously I didn't want for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to grow strong ever again, but it's in their best interests to take this war as a lesson rather than the beginning of the end, Lady Krystyna obviously had her country's best interest at heart, perhaps more so than The Prussian King - she was becoming more and more interesting and she had the potential of becoming more and more of a threat, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she manages to get herself elected King of Poland following the death of Jan II and then, with her claims on Transylvania and Bohemia, with Bohemia consumed by the warfare between Protestants and Catholics in The Holy Roman Empire, she could wind up juggling vassalage with The Tsardom of Russia, The Holy Roman Empire, and The Ottoman Empire, all while preparing to assert her independence from all of them - not only could inviting her to Moscow serve as the solution to the romantic turmoil in my life, it could also give me the chance to eliminate Lady Krystyna as a threat long before she becomes one - I could train her to become a loyal King of Poland rather than a threat, that's not to say that it'll be easy, but even if she does wind up becoming as powerful as I fear, I'd prefer someone that power as an ally rather than a plotting nominal vassal.

"Well, do you agree to the first term of the treaty?" I asked King Jan II, he didn't like it, but General Kaminskas point was shot down by a sixteen year old girl and Lady Krystyna opted not to get involved quite yet, the two people who were basically acting as his advisors couldn't come up with any real objections other than the fact that they hated the fact that they lost, which all three of them knew that we wouldn't accept as an actual reason, therefore, Johann von Konigsberg, acting as King of Poland under the name of Jan II, choked down his rage as much as he could and simply nodded - I understood that he was angry, the treaty was demanding a lot of land but we weren't going to budge on the fact that the Lithuanians had conquered this land to begin with - I paid no mind to their rage and instead, I proceeded to the second demand of the treaty "Secondly, we demand a considerable fee of gold and silver from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, this payment will be equivalent to five years worth of income for your country, we do not demand any additional trade concessions or payments beyond the five years worth, this payment will be based off of past income, therefore, the value of Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia will be counted."

"You can't just take that land then demand five years worth of income that includes them! You're asking to be paid twice!" King Jan II objected, I was going to respond but, once again, my sister proved she had been listening closely and proved how educated she was, completely shooting down the objection. Not bad at all for a girl who claims to find politics dreadfully boring - Muscovite politics anyway, perhaps she found foreign policy much more interest than domestic policy, perhaps she enjoyed the combative nature of negotiating the end of a war, or maybe she just never gave politics as much of a chance as she did now, now she was approaching it as the Tsarevna and heiress rather than the Tsarevna second in line to the throne and destined to lose that status as I had children, though now that we know I won't be having children and that Yelizaveta won't be either, Liz is now heiress and Sophie is second in line for the throne, her children will be our successors. I was impressed at how well Liz took to her new position regardless of the reasons, she definitely was the best person to have at my side while we drafted The Treaty of Warsaw, this almost made up for the emotional turmoil our misguided feelings have put us through, almost.

"King Jan, surely you understand that your treasury is stocked with an income that includes Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia?" Yelizaveta expertly replied, using her best smirk, it was almost sexy how easily she took to being in the dominant position within the political arena - my eyes widen at the idea of finding my sister sexy and I quickly averted me eyes, luckily, no one seemed to notice - I looked at Lady Krystyna instead, it was a lot easier to admit that she was sexy, a lot less consequential - though, a love affair between The Tsarina of Russia and The King of Poland would downright terrify The Holy Roman Emperor and The Sultan of The Ottomans - well, I should say Sultana at this point, given that Helena of Gothia of all people was assumed power as the regent for Sultan Abdullah Timur, the child Caliph and the powerless true ruler of The Ottoman Empire, I'll deal with the Ottoman situation once I'm done with this war and once my plans for Moscow and southern Russia are well under way - a Palace and a square for Moscow, new towns, villages, and administrative centers throughout the frontier regions, first in the steppe of southern Russia and, later, we can extend this policy to Siberia, the region beyond The Ural Mountains which we're colonizing slowly but surely, all from our forward most city of Yekaterinburg, though I intend to bring the colonization of Siberia under royal control from Moscow.

"Considering that we're going to lose so much land and you're going to get all of the benefits of our former breadbasket region, perhaps the sum you receive should be three years rather than five." Lady Krystyna made a reasoned argument, she was clearly the smartest person negotiating for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - though I'm sure than Jan II will alter the records in Polish, Lithuanian, Latin, and German to make himself look better at the expense of the Polish noblewoman, however, I'll make sure that the records in Russian tell the truth because, if all goes well, Jan II will be the last King of Poland to be an enemy of The Tsardom of Russia, his successors will be dear allies under our protection, therefore, it benefits us to have him along with the final Wasa Kings remembered as incompetent, ineffectual, and overshadowed by their successors, history will praise Russia for guiding The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth down a better path and helping them become a modern country rather than a strange union of Medieval states in a modern world.

I looked over at Yelizaveta and we shared a brief conversation in Georgian - these three may understand enough Russia to have figured out what we were saying, especially given that Polish and Russian are both Slavic languages and the languages of Ruthenia and Byelorussia at this point are basically dialects of Russian, I'd imagine that they must at least have a passing knowledge of Ruthenian and Byelorussian due to the fact that East Slavic people populate a massive region of their realm - though admittedly, Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia are the least densely populated regions of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, largely due to them being more agricultural than the more urban core lands of Poland. Liz and I agreed that three years of income was probably sufficient for our needs but more money never hurt...well, it did hurt The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but we didn't exactly declare war without the intent of crippling of neighbor and long time enemy, hell, I was born while Moscow was under a Polish and Lithuania siege, it's about time to get payback.

"We'll be willing to accept four years of your yearly income's worth of gold on account that we are gaining your East Slavic lands/" I conceded one year, I was not willing to go so far as Lady Krystyna wanted me to, though I was enjoying this political back and forth, it was a good time to be facing off against another educated woman of state, I wanted to cripple The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Lady Krystyna wanted Poland strong enough so that she could get elected as King of Poland Grand Duchess of Lithuania, giving her the change to use the unified realm as a vehicle for pressing her claims to the hereditary states of The Kingdom of Bohemia and The Principality of Transylvania, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth wasn't dependable since it was an elective monarchy and, unlike the seven jaded electors of The Holy Roman Empire, the countless members of The Sejm exerted realm power, even once the King was already elected, however, Bohemia was a hereditary monarchy and, as an added bonus, it was one of those seven electors of The Holy Roman Empire, unfortunately for Lady Krystyna, The Holy Roman Emperor is also The King of Bohemia and, even if someone else became Emperor, the Habsburgs have made sure that Austria, Bohemia, and their lands in Hungary will go to their heir, The Holy Roman Emperor is not given any more land for himself upon getting elected, all they gain is the ability of serving as overlord of the many, many states of Germany, not that it matters much anyway now that The Holy Roman Empire is permanently divided along religious and political lines, Transylvania, meanwhile, is a similarly complicated region as it became independent as a result of the collapse of The Hungarian crown due to the Ottoman invasion, the Habsburgs seized lands bordering them and lands north of the Danube, the Ottomans seized lands south of the river, and Transylvania served as an independent state ruled by Hungarians claiming to be vassals of either The Ottomans or the Habsburgs depending on who is stronger and who benefits them more, that would be another arena for Lady Krystyna to handle and a part of me would very much like to see her hard about work juggling alliances, treaties, and allies to make her plans work, to press her claims, and to create a powerful and independent realm for herself at the crossroads of eastern Europe and central Europe.

"Very well," Jan II accepted, he was happy just to get that compromise, he knew that even at a sum equal to three years of income his real took a huge blow, he knew that at four years the treasury would be practically empty and he'd have to raise taxes on his citizens, a risking proposition for a King that's reigned for just long enough to lose a war and lose so much land, so much gold, and so much prestige for a country that was once a great power, but at five years, at five years worth of income, Johann von Konigsberg can practically kiss his position as King Jan II of Poland goodbye, this compromise would at least allow him to rule, not that I intended for him to rule long anyway, I would make adjusts to who ruled my protectorate when I deem it necessary, but Jan II won't know that and it won't be a part of the treaty, getting control of The Sejm will be a covert matter using whatever's left of that four years worth of income.

"Third and finally, considering the loss of land and the loss of gold, I think it is in the best interests of The Tsardom of Russia to place The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under our protection, you shall become our Protectorate and, in exchange for financial and military aid from Moscow, you will conduct all foreign policy decisions through a Russian filter, we will have advisors and representatives in your court - there is no need to replace any current advisors or members of your royal council, these will nearly be additions and I will assign them." I put the cherry on top of The Treaty of Warsaw and scanned the three faces of our enemy, I didn't know what I had been expecting, perhaps an outburst of rage, perhaps an immediate sigh of acceptance, instead, I got a long, awkward silence filling the room with a tension thick enough that a knife would struggle to get through it, finally, it was broken by Lady Krystyna.

"I don't believe we have a choice, without Russian protection, we'll see the Habsburgs make a move for Silesia, The Ottomans will annex their vassals in Wallachia and Moldova, and your fellow Prussians may decide that they want an independent Teutonic state once again." Lady Krystyna pointed out as Jan II's face sunk, he wanted to fight, he wanted his nation to come out of this with honor, he wanted to be anything but a loser King, but fate and timing were not on his side, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth does not need a general, they need a patient administrator to hold them together and play their advantages and the political landscape of Europe in order for Poland to wiggle their way into independence.

The Treaty of Warsaw was signed not long after that, Jan the Prussian had no other option, we got everything we wanted in terms of land and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was now our protectorate, however, we did get a years worth of income less in our payment, though it was an obscene amount of gold and silver nonetheless, certainly enough for our needs and then some. I had everything I wanted in the treaty, but there was one more thing that I wanted, something very important but something that won't be going in any treaty.

"King Jan II, Lady Krystyna, I have a request" I requested and he looked up at me, expecting the worst - Krystyna had already been looking at me and she had an idea of what I was going to do, she hardly seemed hostile about it - however, I was giving him something that I wanted, I was also giving her something that she wanted "I propose that Lady Krystyna accompanies me back to Moscow where she can serve me as a very useful member of my court.

"She'd love to!" Jan II answered too quickly and Lady Krystyna glared at him, however, she nodded at me, she was going to join me in The Tsardom of Russia, I would make a King of Poland out of her yet, she would be a great ally, she would be a wonderful asset, and part of me thinks that, on top of all of that, she'll be a wonderful lover too, certainly healthier than my infatuation with my own sister anyway, an infatuation that would soon disappear thanks to this Polish noblewoman, now, I just had to find a lover for Yelizaveta and everything would be perfect in Moscow.

* * *

I love you all, peace out!


	11. The Arabian Peninsula

Alright, we're back with the next chapter of Romans, this will be an Ottoman chapter and this will begin the final arc of act one, this one is a bit more concentrated on The Ottomans rather than Russia but I have some big plans for Anastasia, Yelizaveta, and now Lady Krystyna too nonetheless, you'll see those plans in chapter twelve and chapter fifteen - the latter of which will also be the end of act one. Here we go!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter XI.

The Arabian Peninsula.

* * *

Fatimah and I arrived in Baghdad by the time we heard the news, had decided to accompany the army fighting down the east coast of Arabia from Iraq because this army will be the one facing the heaviest resistance, this is the army that will challenge Hormuz and their Portuguese suzerains, this is the army that will decide if this will be a quick war or a blunder that our enemies in Russia, The Holy Roman Empire, and Persia will pounce on greedily, this is the army that will play the pivotal role, not the one that will be cutting into Najd or the one that shall trample over Yemen intent on meeting us in Muscat, everything seemed like it had gone so well in the lead up to this war - Russia was preoccupied, fighting our old rival The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth no less, that killed two birds with one stone, The Holy Roman Empire was intent on ripping itself in half in the struggles between Catholics and Protestants, and Persia was kept out of our hair by a treaty, it all seemed like the best timing we were going to get, Fatimah was certainly excited and confidant, that helped make me excited and confidant too, but now, now I realize that perhaps we shouldn't have been, perhaps we should have been cautious, slow, and safe. It happened as my Tunisian lover and I were drinking coffee together - coffee was common in The Ottoman Empire, particularly in Konstantiniyye, but it hasn't quite reached popularity in the west yet, I didn't mind, there was more for me...and for Fatimah too, she looked so cute as she tentatively drank the hot liquid, worried that she may burn herself, I was tempted to kiss her, I was tempted to taste the coffee on her lips, I was tempted to see the drink left on the table and forgotten as we shared more than just a cup of ground up beans, however, I had to restrain myself as a messenger entered the room we were lounging in, I was reluctant, but if I was serious about doing all of this for my son, then being regent for Abdullah Timur is a lot more important to me than a woman who made me want to waste so much of my time, not that it felt more important, anyway, I had to humor the messenger now, Fatimah understood that, even if she wouldn't mind being pushed up against the wall and kissed until we couldn't breathe again.

"Yes messenger?"I asked, I didn't know what had happened at the time, I assumed we would just be spending the night here before meeting up with the army and taking them down to Arabia where the war will be waged, however, I was quite wrong, the news that this messenger had would throw my whole campaign up in the air, the thing that I feared the most during this war was coming true and there was nothing that I could do about it.

"The Tsarina of Russia has signed The Treaty of Warsaw with the King of Poland, their war is over." The messenger informed us, Anastasia had gotten peace and while she was at it she effectively took half of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's land, all of that was added to her already massive Empire, giving her a lot more food, a lot more men, and a lot more tax revenue ready for when she decided to declare war on me over Crimea and the Caucasian territory. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried, I was worried, now Russia could declare war on me in the north if it really wanted to, sure they were scarred from the war against the Poles and the Lithuanians but we're about to be preoccupied with the Portuguese and their allies and puppets in Arabia, a two front war separated by so much desert just isn't viable, I needed to take advantage of the peace while I had the chance, the more time I wasted bogged down in Arabia, the more time I gifted to The Tsardom of Russia, the more I hurt my son's future Empire, the more I ruined Fatimah's wildest dreams. I needed to be like lightning to beat the clock and I needed to beat the clock because I know I can beat Portugal, I know I can beat Russia if all goes well, but I also know that I couldn't defeat both off them united together in their mutual hatred against myself and The Ottoman Empire that everyone seems to think that I stand for.

I still don't see myself as an Ottoman first and foremost and I don't think that I ever truly will, however, I do see myself as someone happy, capable, and focused, I need to stay that way if I'm going to come out of this situation in a better way than I came out of it, I needed to annex Arabia and I needed to keep Russians paws off of the lavish new additions to The Ottoman Empire in Armenia, Baku, and the surrounding areas, this is going to be the moment where we find out if Fatimah and I really have what it takes to rule The Ottomans or if we're all talk and no bluster, we'll be up against two of Europe's greatest powers, we'll fight the Portuguese in Arabia now and, after that, it will be Russia who decides when we fight each other. A surprise attack on Russia might work initially, but I fear that doing so will only justify Russia's brutalities to the west, we need to come across as the victim because then we might be able to get the likes of Sweden and The Holy Roman Empire intervene on our behalf to keep Russia from getting too powerful, I mean, they did just take huge amounts of land from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, between Ruthenia, the Caucasus, and their expansion in Siberia, they may double their size by 1650 compared to 1600 just twenty-two years ago. Russia was definitely a country on the rise and it was a country on the rise that was on a collision course with my Empire, we both claimed to be The Third Rome, Russia wanted to control the Orthodox population in our Balkan territory while we wanted to exercise our authority as Caliph over the Sunni Muslims in southern Russia, and we both wanted to control the Black Sea and the Caucasus region, war was unavoidable, but perhaps we can hold our own against the Russians and at least keep Crimea - the Caucasus has barely been incorporated into The Ottoman Empire, if we lose it, it hurts us, but it's hardly a death blow, losing Crimea however, losing Crimea means that Russia will rule over The Black Sea, meaning that it's only a matter of time until they target Bessarabia, Bulgaria, and finally, Konstantiniyye itself. I do believe that The Ottoman Empire is stronger than The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, however, Russia undid centuries of Polish and Lithuanian expansion in a few weeks, they clearly had a lot left to give and they'd be resting and preparing for war while we'll be fighting the Portuguese in Arabia, wearing down our troops and wasting our resources, not to mention stretching our supply lines which have to extend to Yemen now but will have to extend all the way to the border with Georgia very soon, that's a massive logistically switch and, quite frankly, I think time has failed us here.

I didn't want to blame Fatimah, adding Arabia to the Empire would strengthen us in the long term, it would open up trade opportunities in The Indian Ocean, and it would give us security in the south - sure there were Nubian Kingdoms and of course Ethiopia down in Africa, but they weren't quite as much of a threat as Russia, Portugal, or even Persia, however, Fatimah seemed to make the same assumption that everyone else made, that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be a legitimate threat to Russia just like they had been twenty years ago, but in those two decades Russia built a deadly modern, cutting edge army while the Poles and the Lithuanians effectively stood still, Sigismund Augustus couldn't change that and now I doubt that Jan the Prussian could change that, Poland was now under the protection of Russia, they sold away their independence for the illusion of it, and now, Anastasia,, the Russian teenager turned Tsarina was turning her greedy little eyes to The Ottoman Empire, but maybe we could imitate her here, maybe we can conquer Arabia in a few weeks time and shock the world once again, I don't think that would stop the Russians, but if it could make them hesitate just a bit, take just a little more time to prepare before declaring war, then we had a fighting chance of getting out of that war with our northern border intact.

"Well, good for them, our war is about to begin." I finally replied to the messenger, glancing over at a relieved Fatimah - she felt guilty, I could tell, it wasn't like her to remain this silent when getting news so relevant to her plans, however, it also wasn't like her to fail, perhaps she was scared, she didn't know how I was going to react and she felt like she could lose not just a political position but a relationship over this. I cringed at the thought, I wouldn't do that to her, if this plan backfired it was just as much my fault as it is her own, she may have come up with the plan but I'm the one that approved it and let things get this far, but I didn't regret it, there was no turning back now, if we have to fight the Russians and the Portuguese at the same time we'll fight the Russians and the Portuguese at the same time, we'll raise every soldier, every levy, and every army we can and we'll hold the line as best we can - if time has betrayed us, we'll go down fighting, we'll sit through the negotiations, and we'll pay the reparations, but Fatimah and I will get right back up and get to work trying to make everything right again, I owe it to The Ottoman Empire, I owe it to my young son Abdullah Timur, and, perhaps more importantly than either of those, I owe it to Fatimah.

"Very well, my fair Sultana," the messenger bowed and left, he gave his news and I took it into account when committing to the war against the Portuguese and their Arabian allies lead by The Sultanate of Hormuz, it was a risk, I do admit, the Russians could declare war on us in a second and just field an army or two that didn't fight in Byelorussia or Ruthenia, but I had a feeling that the Europeans overestimated us, Anastasia chose fighting the Poles and the Lithuanians over fighting us and I think that means that she thought it was the safer move to make in the supposed chaos of an Ottoman regency, maybe she'd hesitate again, maybe she'd decide to enjoy the spoils of war for a year or two before threatening us, I didn't know what Russia was going to do and that was the scary part, all I knew is that this war is inevitable and that I needed as much time as possible before then - there was no way that Anastasia would wait more than five years and I doubted that it would even take that long, but every day of peace was a day that Fatimah and I could use to grow stronger, smarter, and more prepared.

* * *

The first battle Fatimah and I witnessed was a clash with Hormuz as we moved our armies down from Iraq along the Persian Gulf, our army was larger and more equipped than this initial Arabian response, but they were surprisingly modern - their armies thought in European style squares and they were deadly with pikes and more than capable of using guns when necessary - I was hardly oblivious to the fact that these Arabian square formations were a lot more like an Iberian tercio than anything local - though their cavalry supplemented horses with camels which were much more suited to the Arabian desert, I'd imagine all of these were local, however, their cannons certainly weren't - this army of Hormuz was accompanied by divisions of Portuguese artillery. These cannons were devastating as our armies marched to meet with the infantry of Hormuz, however, we've fought against The Holy Roman Empire, we've fought against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, we've even fought against The Kingdom of Spain, our soldiers know how to deal with artillery fire, Hormuz was not nearly as used to it, so when our artillery responded, I saw Arabian troops on the verge of crumbling, they would have too, if not for the fact that Portuguese advisors took command and brought order, so, soon enough, our infantry marched into each other and they began their battle while both our cavalry and the Arabian cavalry attempted to get around each other to flank the enemy infantry, however, the Arabian cavalrymen and their camels were far more acclimated to the heat and the sand of this desert, therefore, our greater numbers and more advanced tactics weren't nearly as effective as they would be in Europe, fighting the armies that we're used to fighting.

The Ottoman Empire has certainly expanded every which way but now, what we want is Europe, we've already taken practically all of the Mediterranean coast of Africa and all that's left is Morocco which Portugal and Spain have essentially decided will be an Iberian colony, the only problem is they both want to be the one ruling over all of Morocco, we've already taken Baghdad and expanding further into the east would take us into Persia proper which is honest just more trouble than its worth, in the south, as mentioned, there's not much we want beyond Arabia, therefore, after this, our interest will be taking the rest of Hungary and, potentially, joining our Balkan territory with Crimea and Crimea with our Caucasian territory, though doing that would require a massive war against Russia and we may lose Crimea and our Caucasian territory to Russia long before we're ready to fight an offensive war against them, but the point is the land we desire now is in Europe and therefore, our army is built to a European standard, that standard means we're better off than the majority of the rest of the world in theory, however, in practice, there are shortcomings when fielding a European army outside of Europe, particularly against a local enemy, especially when, thanks to the Portuguese, we don't quite have the technological advantage to just brute force our way through these Arabian Sultanates and their armies.

The Portuguese commanders were cutting edge Iberian commanders, fresh from wars in Morocco and all along the African coast in Portuguese imperial conquest, however, they weren't particularly good people, that become clear as they refused to retreat as we gained the upper hand - the Portuguese commanders were content to send these Arabians to their death to defend their colonies - that could work to our advantage, we could legitimately claim to be better for Arabia than the Portuguese, even if Portugal was seemingly more hands off while we were outright annexing the land, the fact is that Portugal is only hands off until their colonial and economic interests are threatened, then they'll take control of their puppets and use them as cannon fodder, forcing them to fight to their deaths to preserve imperial control for as long as possible, meanwhile, Portugal's own troops sat in defense of their island of Bahrain and in defense of their trade concession in Muscat, the only aid they gave to the Arabians was the artillery and the commanders and, even then, I suspect that has just as much to do with the Portuguese not trusting Arabs to use their cannons and Portugal wanting control of their puppet armies, again, because of them not trusting the Arabians. This put Fatimah and I in a position where we could ask the Arabians why they trust the Portuguese when the Portuguese don't trust them, meaning that we could win this war by driving a wedge between Portugal and the likes of Hormuz, Yemen, Muscat, Oman, and Najd, just like how a big part in the Russian victory over The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was driving the Cossacks who defended much of Ruthenia and Zaporizhia to their side and then using them against their former Polish and Lithuanian masters, meaning that, even if Poland tried to keep these regions in the treaty, they had no way of defending them anymore because the Cossacks were with Russia and thus, a well defended region turned into a frontier populated by hostile horsemen, we could do something similar to drive the Portuguese out of Arabia and put this war at rest, allowing us to concentrate on and prepare for the eventual war against The Tsardom of Russia itself.

My men finished off the Arabian defenders and the Portuguese commanders retreated with their artillery, we took losses and our surviving men were exhausted - battles get incredibly blood when one side has no option but to win the battle or die trying - we had to rest for the night, we had to give our troops the chance to bury the dead and recover from that first battlefield, therefore, we marched at a slower pace until we found an oasis to settle in for the night - in this heat with such vast distances between villages, we'd need all the water that we could get. I settled down and waited as Fatimah talked to our commanders - she had a lot more military experience than I did considering her father was a general in addition to a governor and she herself modernized the levy of Tunis, bringing them up to the same standard as the professional Ottoman army, something that even our valuable provinces in Egypt and our core provinces in Anatolia struggle to accomplish. The Portuguese were a tough opponent and they saw these Arabians as nothing more but disposable infantry, they trained them to fight us and then marched them to either their death or our victory, there was no in between. I sighed, we won today, that was good, I should be happy, we made progress on this front and I'm confidant that we'll find out that we made progress in Najd and Yemen as well, I'm also confidant that we can bring this war to an end sooner by turning the Arabs and the Portuguese against each other, but there's something unnerving about seeing those Portuguese commanders willing to let the troops of Hormuz fight to the death if it meant defending their interests in The Indian Ocean, and then to show such hypocrisy by retreating as soon as there was no one at risk except for Portuguese lives, it just screamed of being incredibly inhumane, I thought I was sending troops to their deaths by going to war against Portugal and, beyond that, against Russia, however, I never thought that I would see commanders ordering their troops to keep fighting until every last one of them was dead, it felt sickening.

"Are you okay?" Fatimah asked as she finally joined me again, my Grand Vizier and lover knew me well enough to see that I was shaken up after today, despite how little time we've spent together - I suppose this relationship all came too fast, I suppose we did these things all wrong, but, I suppose that it doesn't really matter, I'm glad that I'm with her, I'm glad that I found love...or at least what I hope is love - neither Fatimah nor I have much experience in this, before this, my only relationship was my loveless marriage with Suleiman III and that formed even quicker than this as I offered myself up to the Sultan in order to ensure that my family got away safe and sound to Genoa, where the Doge protected them, meanwhile, Fatimah didn't exactly have much opportunity for a lesbian relationship in North Africa within the Islamic Ottoman Empire - not that Christian countries are tolerant of homosexuality either. We were inexperienced, we were young, and we probably didn't even know the difference between love and lust yet, but the fact is that we're attracted to each other, we love working together, and we care about each other. We can't expect other people to decide if we love each other or not, that's our decision to make, I think this is love, I think I love her, so as far as I'm concerned, damn how quick this has been, damn how taboo this is, damn how childish this is, I love Fatimah.

"No Fatimah, I'm not." I admitted, there was no hiding the fact that I was shaken up and confused, there was no reason to hide it either, Fatimah wanted to make me feel better and I wanted to feel better, I needed to feel better if I was going to keep leading this army through Arabia "The Portuguese commanders just walked those Arabians to their deaths and they just kept fighting and fighting until every last one of them were dead, I had to watch our men kill every last one of them while the Portuguese ran off completely unscathed. They're using these Arabs, they're treating them as if they were disposable, and the Arabians are just fighting for them - why?"

"Well Helena, the fact is that the Arabians think we'll be just as bad if not worse than the Portuguese and at least the Portuguese will give them the illusion of independence." Fatimah answered, truthfully - I admit that it wasn't the answer I was expecting to hear, I knew that The Ottoman Empire wasn't exactly popular amongst our neighbors, they considered us conquerors - the Europeans thought we were Islamic barbarians and the Arabs thought we were glorified Mongols impersonating Europeans - I realized our reputation was bad, but I never thought that our reputation was so bad that the likes of Hormuz, Yemen, and Najd, all proud, Muslim civilizations with rich histories and vibrant cultures would fight to be Portuguese puppet states rather than have their land absorbed into The Ottoman Empire. I thought that, if nothing else, their views would've softened a little bit now that I, a Greek woman, was in charge of the Empire rather than my Turkish male predecessors, but perhaps they too underestimated me, they thought that I was nothing more than a figurehead, they thought that Fatimah was a Grand Vizier in name only, but they were wrong, we were in control of The Ottomans and we'd make them all love us one way or another. I clenched my first with determination as Fatimah continued, I was going to be better than my predecessors, I promise that "Your husband, the late Sultan, wasn't very popular with the Arabs, he filled his inner circle with Turks and Europeans, he styled himself like a European King more and more up to his death, to the point where he started alienating the Turks as well, by the time he realized it during the war against the Persians, his best idea to rectify it was to show his trust to the Arabs by replacing his Janissary bodyguards with Levantine Arabs, but it was too little, too late, they killed him rather than trusting him."

I had noticed that Suleiman III was becoming increasingly European in his final days, first of all he took a Greek wife - I mean I was born and raised in Crimea but I was also born and raised culturally and religiously Greek, so I guess it didn't matter much that Theodoro was on Crimea or that we claimed a romanticized connection to the Goths with the name of our dynasty being The House of Gothia, we were Greek and we were Orthodox, even if I was now the regent of a Turkish and Islamic Empire, even if I was now nominally Sunni Muslim, I cannot change how I was raised, I cannot change who I am, I am a European and my husband, despite the fact we never really loved each other, wanted to be European too. I noticed that there were a lot more Greeks and Albanians in Topkapi Palace by the end of his reign than there were at the beginning, to the point that even the traditionalist faction was now being passed on to the Albanian Spartak Pasha - well in his brain it is, we's no Ibrahim Pasha and not all of Ibrahim Pasha's support is translating over to his former protege, especially not as I solidify my power and have both the Janissaries and my Grand Vizier investigation both the traditionalists and the Levantine bodyguards, trying to figure out if they're related and, if they are, how.

Investigations aside, I knew I was only making the Empire more European, I've restored the Janissaries to their position as the bodyguards to the Sultan, and I've left Abdullah Timur in the hands of his Greek nurse Xanthippi while off on this war, however, I've also appointed an Arab as Grand Vizier - Fatimah was a Tunisian Arabic woman, I only affectionately called her a Carthaginian, as for me being a Roman, that was somewhat more legitimate given that The House of Gothia is descended from The House Komnenos who ruled first The Byzantine Empire and later The Empire of Trebizond, the first of which was The Eastern Roman Empire, the latter was one of the Byzantine successor states formed after the long series of mistakes known as The Fourth Crusade which resulted in The Latin Dynasty ruling over Constantinople - The Byzantine Empire would return thanks to The House Palaiologos, however, that was not to be, Constantinople was conquered by The Ottomans, ever since, it has been Konstantiniyye, however, with me, it's as if Komnenos rule was restored to the Empire, if only for one generation, a Roman once again reigned over Konstantiniyye, there would be no debate whether or not the Turks or the Russians or anyone else could call themselves The Third Rome, I was a descendant of the rulers of The Second Rome, the last Roman civilization that went unchallenged - at least until 600 AD when the Catholics named Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor to spite Empress Irene in Constantinople, however, at this point no one considers The Holy Roman Empire to actually be Roman, the man isn't even crowned by The Pope anymore, losing his claim of being Holy, the man is a German and Germans are certainly not Roman, losing his claim of being Roman, and The Holy Roman Empire is too weak and too decentralized to call itself an Empire, especially now as a state of civil war grips Germany as Protestants fight for their faith while the Catholics fight to keep their supremacy, therefore, The Holy Roman Empire is neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire, it's simply an abomination kept alive solely because The Habsburgs are unsatisfied by merely being Archdukes of Austria, Kings of Bohemia, Electors of The Holy Roman Empire, Dukes of Burgundy, Dukes of Brabant, Dukes of Flanders, Dukes of Holland, and titular Kings of Hungary - the claim to Hungary is disputed by the Prince of Transylvania and more Hungarian land is part of The Ottoman Empire than any other country, including the cities of Buda and Pest. Yet more evidence that our Empire is becoming increasingly European, Arabia may well be our final conquest outside of Europe whilst in Europe, we wish to push through the rest of Hungary, we intend to push all the way to Vienna itself, The Ottomans have laid siege to Vienna before and we failed, but we shall try again, The Ottoman Empire was built on a dream to build an Empire that stretches out across four rivers - the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Nile, and the Danube, the Danube which Vienna itself sits on.

Maybe a dream should just be a dream, maybe taking Vienna would just require more war and more destruction and more using soldiers, using soldiers just like the Portuguese did here in Arabia, just like we did here in Arabia, and just like we will again against the Russians. I wanted my son to be the greatest Sultan in the history of The Ottoman Empire, I thought I wanted that anyway, I thought that he was all I had to live for, I thought that my life was over when Sultan Suleiman III took me from Crimea and made me his wife, but now I see that I'm still human, I can love, I can feel compassion, and I can live. I don't think that I want to wage war anymore than I have to, I don't think that I want to conquer land for my son anymore, I think I want to reign over an age of peace and prosperity with Fatimah at my side as my lover, as my Grand Vizier, and as the person who made me feel human. I felt comfortable with her, I felt like I could talk to her about this, and I felt like, together, we really could achieve that peace and prosperity, we could stop the Russians and we could give Abdullah Timur the strongest Empire in history by giving him a rich and stable realm with already massive borders rather than an Empire that expanded and expanded at the cost of everything else. There's no reason for The Ottoman Empire to be so ruthless and bloodthirsty, we'll expand when expansion is the right idea and we'll hold station when holding station is the right idea, it's okay to say that the Empire is big enough for now, it's okay to want something other than war, it's okay to want to reign over a time of peace - Rome may have gained most of its land as a Republic, but its golden age was The Pax Romana during The Roman Empire, so perhaps The Third Rome can have a Pax Ottomanica. I'd like that, I don't see the glory in fighting against the ruthless Portuguese and their Arabian puppets, I didn't see the point in trying to push Russia back and expand our borders - if they're already attacking us over Caucasian territory and Crimea, taking land such as Circassia will only aggravate them more and lead to more wars against The Tsardom of Russia, and I'm beginning to think that a war against Russia may be a war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as well, after such a devastating defeat, for Poland to survive, it may have no other choice than to become a Russian puppet state, even if that means war against us.

"I don't think I want another war after this - we're conquer Arabia and we'll fight the Russians just enough to maintain the status quo, but after that, I don't want to fight another war - I'd rather build your canal, irrigate North Africa, and engage in trade than fight another war. Think about it, we can reign over a time of peace and prosperity, we can make The Ottoman Empire stronger by building up what we have rather than throwing everything into more land, maybe we can take the rest of Hungary, maybe we can gain a foothold north of The Strait of Hormuz, maybe we can take some of the trade ports along The Horn of Africa, but I don't want another war like this, the Portuguese are relentless and I can only imagine that the Russians will be even worse." I admitted to her, Vienna be damned, a dream of an Empire on four rivers be damned, there will be plenty of Sultans after me, Abdullah Timur will breath new life into his dynasty, if they want to conquer Vienna, they can do it themselves, I'm tired of war, I'm frightened, and I just want to go back to Konstantiniyye, curl up with Fatimah, and make safe plans, stable plans, peaceful plans. I'm sure Fatimah already has tentative plans for an invasion of Spain, perhaps bleeding into Portugal and sacking Lisbon in retaliation for this war, but, as much as I love Fatimah, sometimes her plans are too ambitious for her own good.

"If you don't want war, I'm not going to plan any more wars, I promise." Fatimah smiled, resting her hand on my knee - she wanted to kiss me and I wanted to kiss her, but we were in public, we were in the middle of the war camp full of our soldiers, our commanders, and various nobles masquerading as generals - we hardly needed our political enemies to know we were in a gay relationship on top of being two women ruling over The Ottoman Empire. A Greek lesbian descended from The House Komnenos in charge of The Ottoman Empire with a Tunisian Arab lesbian as Grand Vizier, I'm sure Ibrahim Pasha would be rolling over in his grave if he knew the full story of what happened after he was killed...by a cross dressing Janissary no less. It was an interesting time in Europe right now, the traditional order was fading away, in the west, the authority of The Catholic Church was being questioned by the Protestants, in the east, the power dynamic was changing as The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth spiraled from a great power to a glorified puppet of Russia, leaving a void in the Baltic region for The Tsardom of Russia and The Kingdom of Sweden to battle over, and all the while, the traditional feudal power structure is dying, royal power is becoming more and more concentrated. Perhaps in this environment and only this environment I can change the laws of Ottoman succession, perhaps instead of the chaos of the sons and/or the brothers of the Sultan slaughtering each other for the throne, The Ottoman Empire can function on a simple system of primogeniture where the oldest male child inherits - perhaps I can push a step further and ensure that the oldest child, male or female, inherits. Peace would allow me to do something like this, peace would allow me to ensure that The Ottoman Empire is an Empire that is strong and stable and successful despite multiple cultures, multiple religions, and even multiple continents - The Ottoman Empire really is at the crossroads of the old world, I will make sure that still counts for something despite the fact that the Europeans have the new world all to themselves to exploit - though even that isn't enough for the likes of the Portuguese who have trade ports along Africa, Arabia, India, the East Indies, and even China itself in addition to their new world colony in Brazil, the English and the Dutch who established trade companies in India in addition to their colonies along the east coast of North America, and the Spanish who carved out almost an entire hemisphere and now reign over The Philippines, a chain of islands beyond China. Our European enemies were growing stronger and there wasn't anything we could do about it, but what we could do is strengthen our borders rather than expanding them, we'll avoid war by making it too hard to conquer us, we'll present ourselves to the Europeans as a check to Russian power, a buffer to keep them out of the Mediterranean, and a country that would rather be left to our own devices but is more than capable of repelling any threat to our country, whether it's The Holy Roman Empire, the Persians, or even The Tsardom of Russia, The Ottoman Empire will become the greatest Islamic civilization in history by outlasting the likes of The Umayyad Caliphate or the later Abbasid Caliphates or any of the various Sultanates and Caliphates centered on Egypt, time will be our greatest success.

"Thank you Fatimah," I replied, honestly, I didn't want Fatimah to be disappointed in me - I know it's a bit silly to be worried about how my Grand Vizier saw me, I was the Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire after all, but rank didn't matter much between the two of us, we worked together politically, we got along well, and we were equals in our romantic relationship, but the fact is, I still feared that if I disagreed with her on a political issue it could end up hurting our relationship - war brought a sick taste to my mouth after seeing what those Portuguese commanders did to those Arabs today, but if Fatimah had wanted me to continue waging war, if Fatimah had wanted me to be a conqueror, if Fatimah wanted me to keep pushing and pushing until Moscow, Vienna, and Tabriz were all in flames...I wasn't sure if I could say no to her. I know that I care about her more than I care about my own son at this point, I know that I'd probably choose her over a chance at reuniting with my family in Genoa, and I know that I'd probably choose her over my own personal values...and as much as I loved her or at least thought that I loved her or at least that I felt _something _for her that I've never felt for anyone else before, that scared me. It's frightening that this woman popped into my life and took me by the reigns, I had convinced myself I had nothing left to live for but serving my son, I convinced myself that there was nothing else in the world for me but this regency, I convinced myself that the world outside of Topkapi Palace that I found so intoxicating wasn't for me, but in Topkapi Palace I found someone far more intoxicating than the outside world could ever be, I found Fatimah, now, I feel like I'm dependent on her, I can hardly remember how political life was before I had her at my side, and now I feel grateful that's she's not forcing me to go to war with her - Fatimah practically made me forget that I ruled the freaking Ottoman Empire, she made me forget that she was the Grand Vizier of the very same Empire, she made me forget this war and the atrocities I witnessed today, with her, I felt like we were just a pair of love-sick teenagers trying to make a relationship work without having any idea of how to do it.

I felt better knowing that this would be the penultimate war of my reign - well the penultimate war of my reign as far as I knew, there would be this and then there would be that inevitable conflict with the Russians, however, I knew that a war is always possible for an Empire as large and as hated as The Ottoman Empire - perhaps the Venetians would wish to regain their dominance over Mediterranean trade, perhaps the Habsburgs would wish to push us out of Hungary, perhaps the Persians would return for revenge, aiming to retake the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty's former lands in Iraq. We've made plenty of powerful enemies but I can only hope that circumstances have weakened them enough for our enemies to stay out of my way with The Holy Roman Empire ravaged by religious warfare, Venice was robbed of its colonies throughout the Mediterranean and was now left with only Venice itself, the marble city was impressive and Venice still punched well above its weight, but the Italian city-state won't be sacking Konstantiniyye a second time, meanwhile, Persia was hopefully still reeling from the last war - if my husband was good at anything, it was wrecking anything he came across, whether it's Persia, Theodoro, or my life. My husband may have wrecked my life, but I fixed it, I have a lover now in the form of Fatimah, I have a friend and ally now in the form of Olga in the Janissaries, and I had a purpose beyond just serving as a regent until little Abdullah Timur is old enough to rule, for the first time in a long time I felt happy, but I also felt sick to my stomach because I saw what the Portuguese did to those Arabian soldiers, now, I have to sleep knowing that tomorrow we'll be up against that again and again the day after that and again every single day until one of us wins this war, and, on top of all of that, I have to sleep knowing that The Ottoman Empire is seen as just as bad if not worse than these Portuguese.

* * *

Fatimah held me that night, Fatimah made all the stress in the world go away, Fatimah made me ready to lead my soldiers once again today.

We marched down the desert coast of Arabia, coming across several deserted camp sites - these were where the army of Hormuz that we crushed yesterday had been, the Portuguese came through, took everything of value, and abandoned it - they were sure to take all of the food, all of the maps, and anything else that could've helped us in this war. I wasn't surprised at this, but seeing this camp ransacked brought back memories of how these Arabs were treated by their colonial overlords - I knew that the situation would've been the same, if not worse, had it been the Spanish or the French or the English rather than the Portuguese, I knew that Fatimah had a point that The Ottoman Empire had a bad reputation - there certainly have been Sultans who'd make these Europeans look like Saints in comparison, however, I'm not one of those Sultans, I aim to be better for Arabia than any European power or any previous Turkish Sultan could ever be, I intend to raise my son to be an even kinder ruler than I ever was, and I aim for Abdullah Timur to continue this trend by raising his heirs to be just as good if not better.

Our other armies were making progress as well, Najd is being pushed back in the heart of Arabia with little to no Portuguese assistance to the central Arabian Sultanate, meanwhile, in Yemen, the titular Sultanate witnessed one of their armies being crushed under the weight of an Ottoman army, however, the Portuguese Navy had defeated the Egyptian ships we launched in the Red Sea to assist our war, now, those same Portuguese ships have entered The Gulf of Aden, potentially threatening the Red Sea coast of Egypt. Our navy in the Mediterranean was strong, we've fought and beaten the Venetians at sea and our so-called Barbary pirates harass Europeans as far away as Spain, however, we didn't have much of a naval presence in the Red Sea and I declined to even try sending ships into the Persian Gulf during this war - the Portuguese navy would slaughter any Ottoman navy even thinking about approaching their stronghold in Bahrain. One of Fatimah's plans was to increase our presence in the Indian Ocean, taking Arabia was a central pillar to that plan but building a much stronger navy in this part of the world was another pillar of it, we would need a presence in the Persian Gulf, we would need a presence in the Red Sea, and we'd need a navy strong enough that our will was felt from the eastern coast of Africa all the way to The East Indies, that's the only way we'd be able to trade with the existing Indian Ocean trade network, a trade network which includes many Islamic powers such as The Sultanate of Kilwa - though Kilwa is yet another Portuguese puppet, having had given up quite a bit of coastline in the form of Mozambique along with various other coastal islands - and the various Sultanates and Emirates in Java, Malaya, and Borneo, these Islamic states along the Indian Ocean are predominantly Sunni so they already follow us religiously, therefore, securing trade relations is the easy part, the hard part will be getting into a position to form those trade relations to begin with - though in a time of peace, building such a navy and sending sailors on such expeditions will be a lot more feasible given we won't be dumping resources after resources on conquering some other bit of land to add to our already bloated collection.

We continued to march through Arabia for the next few days without another response from the Arabians or the Portuguese - perhaps both retreated to their respective island strongholds, the Portuguese to Bahrain and The Sultanate of Hormuz to Hormuz itself - that meant that our plan soon changed to plotting an attempt to dislodge the Portuguese from their island in the Persian Gulf. The crossing would be precarious, especially with the Portuguese ships in the distance, however, we would not be deterred - the Portuguese ships meant that the shortest crossing from a peninsula on the mainland would be a little too dangerous, therefore, we decided on a longer amphibious invasions from across the Gulf of Bahrain while our cannons fired upon the island itself from the mainland and additionally kept the Portuguese ships from entering the Gulf of Bahrain itself. Fatimah and I would stay on the mainland, we wanted to be a part of this war but we were the two most important figures in The Ottoman Empire right now and we couldn't exactly afford to be in such a dangerous position, but we could afford to observe this attempt at a Siege of Bahrain. All we needed was a bridge head onto the island itself, if we got that, then the island would surely fall, but that meant that the Portuguese would do anything and everything in their power to force us back and repel this would be invasion.

"How about a kiss for good luck?" I asked Fatimah as we stood alone on a position overlooking the beach where our armies were about to embark from, if we could dislodge the Portuguese now, then we could end this war, the Portuguese have shown that they don't give a damn about the Arabians, they only care about their own interests, therefore, if we beat them here now and then we united with our army in Yemen for The Siege of Muscat, we could force the Portuguese from Arabia and Hormuz, Yemen, Oman, Najd, and all the rest would fall in line, Portugal wasn't going to send in enough troops to fight a ground war in Arabia, that's why they needed these Arabians, that's why the only Portuguese we've seen so far are the commanders and the artillery, their real troops are all in Bahrain and their concession in Muscat and there's not that many of them to begin with. All we needed was for this to work, all we needed is a bit of luck, all we needed is the devastating ability to do the impossible that turned The Ottomans into what they are today, then, we could return to Konstantiniyye, then we could begin plotting how to defend Crimea and the Caucasus from The Tsardom of Russia and their allies, The Kingdom of Georgia and I suspect that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will be involved as well, the Russians left them just powerful enough to be useful while remaining just weak enough that they weren't a threat, it was a smart political move, I admit, but I can't imagine that the Poles and the Lithuanians will be satisfied as glorified Russian puppets.

"Well...if you insist." Fatimah smirked before we shared a kiss, two pairs of hot lips managed to feel infinitely unique in the Arabian heat, two separate bodies managed to feel like they molded into one as we pressed together, and air managed to seem entirely unnecessary as a wave of passion and a wave of relief washed over me, win or lose, I'd have Fatimah. We broke apart as our bodies reminded us that air was, in fact, entirely necessary and we saw that our campaign had already begun. Turkish cannons battered the fortifications on the island, the horns of war blasted all around the island as the Portuguese defenders struck into action, soon they had pikemen at the beaches ready to meet our landing troops with deadly steel and burning shot, soon, their cannons were firing at the water trying to annihilate our amphibious troops, soon, the Portuguese ships in the Persian Gulf were heading into the Gulf of Bahrain, intent on stopping our attack.

We held the line however, our cannons battered the Portuguese defenses and blew a few of their cannons to bits, however, doing so revealed their position to the Portuguese ships. Our cannons were placed on cliffs overlooking the entrance into the Gulf of Bahrain and the Portuguese ships spotted our cannons before our artillery crews could turn the cumbersome cannons over to the ships. My smile faded away as I saw a full broadside bombardment send sand, metal, and limbs flying from our western position, I knew that our eastern cannons faced the same fate if they remained where they were but I also knew that, without them, our men in their little transport ships were as good as dead. The situation was clear as day to me now, we simply can't take Bahrain without a navy in the Persian Gulf and I knew only one navy we had that could take the Persian Gulf from the Portuguese and, on top of all of that, I knew of only one man who could command such a navy, the scourge of the Mediterranean - if the Portuguese wanted to call our admirals Barbary pirates, then I'll give them a Barbary pirate.

"Retreat!" I gave the order as our men turned their ships around and returned to shore, our eastern cannons evacuated their position and whatever was left of our western cannons joined us too, we weren't going to take Bahrain today, we were missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. I think I knew how to get that piece, but I'd need time, therefore, I let my army rest for the night, tomorrow, we'd begin marching for Muscat, we'd take that port city with the help of our forces in Yemen and then, two armies united, we'd march back to the shores around Bahrain, perhaps joined by our army in Najd, and together, three armies and one navy in the Persian Gulf, only then would we be able to take Bahrain.

"What are we going to do about Bahrain?" Fatimah asked me later that night as we rested in our camp, I was glad that I had an answer for her, for all of her plans, for all of her genius, she was clueless after that defeat, however, I wasn't going to let her feel clueless any longer, I had a plan, a very ambitious plan, a very stupid plan some would argue, but this is the only plan that would get us Bahrain.

"We'll take Muscat now with the help of our army in the south, meanwhile, our navy in the Mediterranean is going to sail around Africa and blow those Portuguese ships to hell, at that point, taking Bahrain will be a lot easier." I answered, we've never done something like this before and I suspected that the Portuguese ships would be a lot more suited to ocean travel than our Mediterranean vessels, however, once we had that navy here, it didn't matter if they struggled in ocean water, they'd crush the Portuguese navy by sheer force of numbers, especially due to my admiral - a fearsome Barbary pirate whose destroyed more Iberian ships than anyone in history, a man who struck so much fear that the Spanish only knew him as El Diablo, The Devil, well, the Portuguese are about to meet The Devil of the Mediterranean all the way out in the Persian Gulf.

* * *

Alright, this has been chapter eleven, chapters twelve and fifteen will be Russian chapters while thirteen and fourteen will be Ottoman chapters. Also, we'll properly meet El Diablo in chapter fourteen.


	12. Return to Kolomenskoye

Ciao amici! Here we are for chapter twelve, a Russian chapter, Anastasia and Yelizaveta are returning to Russia along with Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, this, along with chapter fifteen, will set up for Russia's arc in the beginning of act two!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter XII.

Return to Kolomenskoye.

* * *

I plopped down on a couch at Kolomenskoye with infinite relief - finally, proper furniture, no more tents, no more wagons, and no more foreign beds in Polish apartments, now, we were back in the luxury we were accustomed to. Yelizaveta similarly joined me on the couch, laying against me and sticking her legs out on the couch on my left, crossing her legs beneath her dress, Lady Krystyna was somewhat more dignified when she sat down on my right, she was nervous - I couldn't blame her, this was her first time here and she only met us the other day at the negotiating table. We had witnessed the beginnings of Russian occupation of Byelorussia and Ruthenia as we headed east from Warsaw, needless to say, Yelizaveta and I were a lot more happy about it than Krystyna was, however, the Polish noblewoman wasn't all that affected, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lost land, but she saw the bright side too, Poland now had an incredibly powerful ally and a secure border in the east with a guarantee of Russian protection from any foreign attack, that meant that Krystyna could focus on conquest and expansion when she became King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, especially with claims to places as large and as significant as Transylvania and Bohemia - a Principality formed from the ruins of the Hungarian crown following The Ottomans and the Habsburgs splitting the once powerful central European Kingdom and Bohemia, an old Kingdom, a powerful Kingdom, and an elector within The Holy Roman Empire - now, The Holy Roman Emperor is hardly the position that it once was, but the Habsburgs have paid a lot of money to keep that throne, meaning being an elector that is powerful enough to not be intimidated by Austria's military might could lead to having a treasury full of Austrian gold. Lady Krystyna represented potential upon potential, she would be a wonderful asset, the only concerning thing is that she may have too much potential, she may become too powerful and too ambitious to be a mere asset to Russia, however, even as an ally, she would be infinitely useful.

"Welcome to Kolomenskoye." I told her, smiling and happy to be home, I was glad that she came with us, it would benefit us both - Jan the Prussian would move to eliminate her as a threat sooner rather than later, her best chance at ruling The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was with us, we'll protect her, nurture her, and we'll ensure ensure that she becomes the next King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, at that point, she'll be able to use her many claims and her many talents to expand her influence throughout central and eastern Europe and, indirectly, expanding our own influence. A strong Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be hard to control, therefore, I need to get Krystyna, the eventual ruler of that strong Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to be loyal, I can guarantee that loyalty by making her see me as a friend, a mentor, and a lover - now, of course, I intended to be a friend, a mentor, and especially a lover, but I couldn't exactly call myself a politician if I didn't see the auxiliary benefits in a relationship. Every royal marriage started as something political and only a few of them later morph into real love, we may not actually be getting married due to our sexual orientation, but the same idea applies.

"It's a beautiful retreat, I'm glad that we don't have to be enemies anymore, I'm glad that I can be a guest of honor in a place as beautiful and lavish as this. It's nice to see Russia in a new light after spending my whole life seeing your country as my enemy, I never understood why, we seem to share a lot of the same enemies, the Swedes and the Turks in particular...I guess it was just overlapping claims and greed over land. I hope that we can put some of that behind us now, it saddens me to see my country lose so much land, so much prestige, and so much power, but I recognize that there is no reversing it now, what's done is done and the thing to do now is to look at how I can make the future of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth brighter, a future that will involve much closer relations with The Tsardom of Russia." Krystyna replied, showing me that we were effectively on the same page, that made me happy, it was refreshing to meet someone as smart and as receptive as Krystyna, it was refreshing to meet a woman as beautiful as Krystyna, it was refreshing to find someone who could finally quell these sinful feelings for Yelizaveta. She could quell them, she could, the only reason I still felt these feelings was because I haven't done anything with Krystyna yet, I haven't received any confirmation that she feels the same way, I haven't heard or felt anything that made those feelings awaken yet, it would come, eventually, it had to.

I was sure that I was rushing into this, I hardly knew about my sexuality before this war and now I was ready to practically seduce the first attractive woman who I wasn't related to, I planned out or relationship without even considering how Krystyna felt - I thought that she was a lesbian, I still do, I don't know why, maybe it was because I could see a little bit of myself in her, maybe it was because I caught those mismatched eyes dotting around my body more than once, or maybe it was something that would've been invisible to me before I found out about my sexuality. I laughed to myself internally, Yelizaveta got me into this mess because of a hunch about my sexuality, now I was going to get myself out of this mess with a hunch about Krystyna's sexuality, but that did not mean that I was going to forget about Yelizaveta, I was going to get Liz out of this too. Liz had done so much for me in these last few months, from realizing my sexuality - a sexuality that was confirmed every single night in the most twisted way possible that Yelizaveta and I shared a cot in our tent, every single night that my heart ached with love, that my body ached with lust, and my head ached with restraint, fighting the losing battle against both my heart and my body as I raced to win this war before my mind failed and I ravaged my own sister, committing countless sins in the process and turning a wholesome sisterly relationship into something depraved, something unnatural, something that royalty just couldn't do. I sighed, why must these urges threaten my relationship with my sister? Why can't I just love her in a normal why? Why is it that, even now, even with Krystyna here as an obvious love interest, an obvious outlet, an obvious replacement, I still can't help but feel an overwhelming desire for my beautiful little sister leaning against me with a smile on her half asleep face as she sunk into the unrestrained, excessive luxury of the Russian capital, the unrestrained, excessive luxury which was only the beginning.

My grand plans for Moscow and the rest of Russia have only grown now that I actually have the riches of Poland and Lithuania to work with, four years worth of income - I wanted five, but three would've already been enough, three is what Krystyna proposed, it would've been perfectly adequate, however, that would've been letting The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth get a victory over me after I crushed them so completely, still, I was willing to compromise, so long as, in the end, I was the one who proposed the amount we finally agreed with. It was clear to me then that Krystyna was the smartest person on the Polish side of the negotiating table, it was clear to me then that she would've been a much between King than Jan the Prussian - I don't think that she could've won the war, in fact, I admit that Jan was the best choice if Poland's goal was to win the war, unfortunately, that wasn't possible for them, however, unlike Jan, Krystyna could've won the peace, even with her limited role and even with Jan wanting her out of the way, Lady Krystyna did far more for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth while drafting The Treaty of Warsaw than either King Jan or General Kaminskas did. She would do far more going forward, especially with her claims extending to The Kingdom of Bohemia and The Principality of Transylvania, even if doing so would bring her in conflict with the Habsburgs and likely The Ottomans as well, particularly if she decides to pursue the fact that the Princes of Transylvania also claim the Hungarian Crown Lands, which consists of The Kingdom of Hungary - including Transylvania - and The Kingdom of Croatia. During the Late Middle Ages, the thrones of Hungary, Bohemia, and Poland often bounced back and forth, no one quite ruled all three at once, but there were plenty of overlapping claims, plenty of lineages that died out, and plenty of thrones were resolved by electing nobles, both foreign ones and local ones, it got to the point where, at one point, The Kingdom of Hungary was intertwined with The Kingdom of Naples, both ruled by an Angevine Frenchman. My goal was to expand Russia and make it known that my country is a great power, perhaps that can be done by expanding my influence indirectly, as well, maybe I could give Lady Krystyna a little bit of help with her claims, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be a Russian protectorate with its electoral monarchy and past greatness, but perhaps The Kingdom of Bohemia could become a hereditary monarchy, providing Russia with a loyal Elector within The Holy Roman Empire from The House Wlodzislawa, perhaps a King or Queen of Hungary as well, expanding our influence from The Carpathian Mountains to the Adriatic, maybe even across the Adriatic Sea, we could have a Wlodzislawa reign over The Kingdom of Naples. Krystyna could lead to so much, her position as Sigismund Augustus' ward makes her a popular choice for election as King of Poland and her claims to Bohemia and Transylvania could lead to three more Kingdoms throughout central and southern Europe, they'd come from Krystyna and thus they'd have a Polish flair to them, however, they'd be friends and allies to Russia, whether or not they choose to create a concrete alliance is there choice, but I expect there to be fruits to my labor, I expect Russia to benefit should I help Krystyna pursue her claims to their maximum extent.

Of course, I'd also expand Russia directly as well, putting an end to The Livonian Order once and for all may finally open up the Baltic Sea for The Tsardom of Russia, though that will surely provoke a Swedish response, the solution there might be to expel the Swedes from Vyborg and take control of the Karelian Isthmus, securing our little gateway to the Baltic and making it clear to the Swedes that, should they want another war, that war would take place in the thick forests of Finland rather than the gentler, albeit still rough, lands of the Baltic coast. Both sides would take losses in Finland, both sides would take massive losses, however, the cold hard truth is that Russia has a much, much larger population than Sweden, if we had to fight a war of attrition in the forests of the eastern half of The Kingdom of Sweden, then we'd fight and win that war of attrition, we'd fight and beat the Swedes if that's what it took to get our Baltic gateway. The Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and somewhere beyond the masses of Siberia, the Pacific Ocean, these three coasts would be crucial to Russia going forward, I'd fight the Swedes, I'd fight the Turks, and I'd fight the Siberian Khanates, I'd do what I must to make my titanic realm even more titanic and give us access to the waters of the world. I'd make Russia large enough, strong enough, populous enough that, even with the largest possible extend of her claims and her own ambitions, Lady Krystyna's future realm wouldn't hold a candle to The Tsardom of Russia - I wanted to create a political relationship with her, I wanted to love her, but above all else, what I wanted with Krystyna was control. I'd control her politically and I wanted to control her in the bedroom too, I sensed that's the only thing that could get my mind off of Yelizaveta.

"Anastasia?" Krystyna snapped me out of my thoughts, I seemed to have zoned out, I seemed to have zoned out quite a bit because Lady Krystyna got off of the couch and knelt in front of me to get my attention, even Yelizaveta had sat up straight on the couch and gave me a bemused expression that contrasted quite a bit with Krystyna's more quizzical expression. Yelizaveta knew me far better than Krystyna did, Krystyna would never know me as well as my little sister did, however, I suppose that's to be expected, I suppose that Krystyna and I had the rest of our lives to get to know each other, I suppose that no romantic relationship could compare to what Yelizaveta and I shared together, how could it? My mother took me into her lap and let my three year old self hold Yelizaveta mere moments after Liz was born, I've known her for sixteen years of my life and she's known me for every single minute of her existence. I had held Sofiya too, my four year old self was allowed to hold her without my mother's help in fact, though I still wasn't allowed to leave her lap and I was sure that Tsaritsa Maria Davidovna was ready to rap her arms back around me in half a second if she saw even a hint that I couldn't handle holding my baby sister. That was special, I was glad that I got to hold little Sophie, however, as much as I love Sophie, holding her newborn body didn't even hold a candle up to holding Yelizaveta - I could lie and say that was because Liz came first, but I knew that wasn't true - I sighed, I suppose that, in some way, these feelings which now threaten to tear my life apart have always been there, I was just oblivious to them, I knew homosexuality existed, I had to know because The Tsardom of Russia had laws punishing an act of intercourse between two men - I noticed even then that lesbianism technically wasn't illegal, but I kept my mouth shut - and I had to understand that it was considered religiously immoral by virtually every major religion in the world. I shrugged, I figured that all of these religions couldn't be wrong and I figured that the situation with women was similar, it just hadn't been enough of an issue to put into writing - anyway, I knew homosexuality existed, but I didn't know that it would impact my life at all until I found out that Yelizaveta was a lesbian, it was almost funny, in twenty-four hours, I went from thinking nothing of homosexuality to masturbating to mental images of erotic lesbian literature that Yelizaveta shared with me. In a way, it was perfect that Yelizaveta helped me realize my sexuality because my mind insisted on viewing Liz as the subject of my sexuality, it was perfect how perfectly I wound up in this perfectly imperfect situation. I stopped myself before I could zone out with thought once again, even if I knew that I was doing it without any solution or answer to those thoughts that plagued me so, now, the only answer I had to worry about was answering Lady Krystyna.

"Sorry Lady Krystyna, I zoned out." I admitted, sheepishly, I had to answer her, Lady Krystyna provided me with an out, Lady Krystyna provided me with a way of letting go of these feelings for Yelizaveta and living a relatively normal life, a life as normal as I could manage, anyway - lesbianism was already taboo, but I could live with a secret lesbian relationship with someone like Lady Krystyna, because I knew with Lady Krystyna, if we got caught, the absolute worst that could happen is that I would have to let go and request that Lady Krystyna leave my court, something that would happen eventually anyway because I intended on Krystyna becoming King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania the second that Jan the Prussian died, at which point, I would do what I can to help her press her various claims, of course, if I did come to feel for her the way that I feel for Yelizaveta, it would hurt me, however, I knew that it was inevitable, Krystyna was here so that I could craft her into a weapon and an ally, becoming a lover was just a pleasant and convenient bonus, besides, lesbianism wasn't officially illegal anyway, that didn't mean that it wasn't de facto illegal, but I was Tsarina of Russia and I doubted anyone would seriously oppose me if I broke an obscure, unwritten law with someone who could grow to be an eternally useful ally. Lady Krystyna was as safe of a relationship as I could hope for, with Yelizaveta...if we got caught, first of all, it would destroy my working relationship with whoever it is that caught us, second of all, every aspect of my relationship with Yelizaveta would be called into question, even the most innocent and benign actions we shared wouldn't be safe from scrutiny, and third of all, we would have to deal with accusations of incest, accusations that would, sooner rather than later, reach the ears of Sofiya and, more importantly, my mother. I felt something magical and undeniably real for Yelizaveta, something which I didn't feel for Lady Krystyna, not yet anyway, but that something was sinful, immoral, and incestuous, pursuing something with Lady Krystyna was still sinful and it was immoral too, but not nearly as much as something with Yelizaveta, and at least it wasn't incestuous. Yelizaveta was my sister and I've only just met Krystyna, I shouldn't even consider either of them as romantic options, but the fact is, this is who I have and I must make a choice and I already know what that choice will be. I must choose Lady Krystyna, nothing good could come from pursuing my own little sister, I'm content to pursue my potential feelings for Lady Krystyna instead, perhaps in time, I may grow to love Yelizaveta almost a tenth of how much I love Yelizaveta. I needed to do this, I needed to set up a relationship for Liz and I needed to solidify my own with Krystyna, once that was dealt with, I could focus on my plans for Moscow, after that, war against The Ottoman Empire always seemed like it was tomorrow and like it was a lifetime ago at the same time, so much has happened to the two of us since learning about each other's mutual darkest secret, very little of it was good, but, in reality, it's only been a few weeks, but between fighting and winning a war, plenty drafting the treaty, and between trying to cope with these damned feelings for my own flesh and blood, a few weeks left like a lifetime, I hoped, I hoped to God that the Polish noblewoman could make a difference, otherwise, I doubted that the two of us could control ourselves for much longer.

If my sacrifice to The Tsardom of Russia must be to commit to Lady Krystyna as a lover when I knew the whole time that I really wanted my sister and that the Polish noblewoman was the first healthy alternative that I stumbled across, I could hardly complain. The heterochromatic blonde was a beautiful young woman, she was like Yelizaveta in some ways, she was like myself in some ways, and, in most ways, she was something else entirely, I could see myself calling in love with her, I could see this going somewhere, I could see this desperate replacement turning into the woman who I spent the rest of my life with, I had the option to do it, I had successors in the form of Yelizaveta and Sofiya, I didn't need to produce an heir, I didn't need to get married, therefore, I wouldn't, I'd feign that I was happily alone and be with Lady Krystyna in private, perhaps this was a gift, perhaps this was a chance to escape this storm of incestuous feelings, perhaps this is exactly what I had needed, this wasn't even a sacrifice, this was a mercy killing, this was getting rid of horrible, twisting feelings that insisted on butting into my life and disrupting what Yelizaveta and I shared as sisters, disrupting something that could've been perfectly normal, perfectly safe, perfectly wholesome, instead, I was the freak who knew the feeling of wetness flowing down my leg and mixing with my own little sister's wetness as we turned ourselves into a knot of limbs and barely repressed sexual desire just to be able to fall asleep, that would end, I would fall asleep because Lady Krystyna was at my side after the two of us spent hour after four making each other fill blissful - that was considered sinful too, but I could live with the sin of homosexuality, I couldn't live with the sin of incest. This will be by sacrifice as a ruler and as I looked down on Krystyna's concerned mismatched eyes, as I looked down at the person who I wanted as my future lover, as I looked down at this beautiful young woman, I knew that it was only a sacrifice compared to Yelizaveta, it was only a sacrifice because i know that, somewhere deep within my heart, there wasn't a Polish noblewoman, there was only Yelizaveta and there was no room for anyone else, even if I was certain that I could create a semblance of that all-consuming feeling with Krystyna, I knew that it would never be the real thing and it hurt that someone as beautiful, resourceful, and intelligent as Lady Krystyna got tied up in all of this, she was here because she was beautiful and her claims here the bonus, not the other way around, I knew that I could get her to give me anything, I knew that I could get her to give me everything, but I would never give her everything, I knew that I was using her because of my feelings for Yelizaveta, but using her was only a minor sin compared to the incest that I would commit with Yelizaveta if I didn't use her, it was for the greater good and I _could_ see myself with Lady Krystyna, I _could_ see myself falling in love with her, that, at least, was an excellent beginning.

"Nastya...Nastya, you keep zoning out!" Yelizaveta was the one to snap me out of it this time, I shook the thoughts out of my head, the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was over, we won, we gained land, and we gained money, I should be happy, I should be enjoying my time home, I should take a few days off before going to Moscow and beginning to see the fruits of my war - the money I could pump into renovating Moscow as well as settling the steppes of southern Russia, the new land, new blood, and new resources added to the Tsardom with Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia, and I could see how the world reacts to Russia's new relationship with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, surely the two greatest powers in eastern Europe going from archenemies to allies would send ripples throughout the European world, the Germans may look past their petty denominational conflict and realize that the situation to their east has changed in the most damaging way possible, it changed in such a way that, sooner rather than later, Polish and Russian troops, united at last, would be targeting German held lands, in particular, Habsburg Bohemia and their Hungarian territory. I was looking forward to my relationship with Lady Krystyna, both politically and, hopefully, romantically as well, I'll groom her to be the vessel that expands Russian influence as far through Europe as possible, her claims can bring us Bohemia and Transylvania directly, Transylvania will yield The Kingdom of Hungary and, from there, a controversial path to the Neapolitan throne awaits. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth itself has plenty of avenues into expansion as well, they could recover Moldavia and thus regain access to the Black Sea, they could also take Curonia from The Livonian Order as Russian and Polish troops expel the troublesome Knightly order from the Baltic once and for all, assuming it doesn't get absorbed into the struggle between Protestants and Catholics long before that anyway.

I suppose that this denominational drama is my problem now considering that, while all three regions I added to the Tsardom are majority Orthodox Christians, I must acknowledge that I've added plenty of Catholics to my realm, plenty of Jews too for that matter, and Muslims as well, particularly in Zaporizhia - though The Tsardom of Russia was no stranger to Muslims, much of modern Russia is made up of lands that had been ruled by Islamic Khanates such as The Khanate of Kazan or The Great Horde, both of which are now long gone, but the remnants of The Khanate of Crimea have been absorbed into The Ottoman Empire, I'd add Crimea to my Empire soon, I'd add Crimea and The Ottoman Caucasus to The Tsardom of Russia in my next war, I had to, my allies in The Kingdom of Georgia were now in danger of an Ottoman attack and Crimea would connect Zaporizhia with Circassia, giving us control over the Black Sea and giving us the ability to threaten Constantinople itself whenever The Ottomans presented a threat to The Tsardom of Russia. The stage was set for that war, The Ottomans would be up against my Tsardom, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and The Kingdom of Georgia, it would be a glorious war, it would be a terrible war, it would be a gloriously terrible war, but a winnable one, especially with Yelizaveta and Lady Krystyna at my side, together, we could crush The Ottomans. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has fallen, next, The Ottoman Empire will fall, after them The Livonian Order will fall, then The Kingdom of Sweden, then the Siberian Khanates, then anyone else left standing who dares stand up against The Tsardom of Russia, all of them will fall, because, as I sat on this couch, bouncing in and out of my own thoughts, I had two women next to me who could help me conquer the world if we set our mind to it, I loved one of them with all of my heart, I wanted to love the other one too, I needed to love the other one too, because if I could fall in love with Krystyna, maybe I could forget about my feelings for Yelizaveta, maybe I could feel relatively normal by pursuing Lady Krystyna instead, a relationship with a woman as beautiful as her with claims as impressive as those she had, if we were opposite genders, she'd be excellent marriage material, but, thankfully for my orientation, we're the same gender, other than that, it would be a perfectly normal political relationship. My mind was running itself ragged, but no more, no more, the solution was so obvious, I knew that Lady Krystyna would be an excellent political asset, I knew that, while I did love Liz as a sister, I didn't want to be in love with her, and I knew that the solution was right in front of me, therefore, I stopped wasting my own time, everything was set up, all I had to do was put it together, maybe then these feelings would go away, maybe then my mind could focus.

"Right, right, I'm sorry, thank you Yelizaveta, I've been so stuck in my own head that I've been an awful hostess to our esteemed guest - Lady Krystyna, how would like to take a tour of the grounds?" I asked her, standing up and offering her my hand with a slight smirk on my lips - I didn't really know how to flirt, but I was doing what felt natural. I admit that I got a little excited on the inside, I did feel something for Krystyna, right now, it was only a spark while my feelings for Yelizaveta burned as brightly as the sun, but, like they say, if you look at the sun, it will only burn your eyes, I will fan the flames of the spark instead, I will fan it into a safe, warm, comforting fire, I won't lose a perfectly good sisterly bond with Yelizaveta to burn the both of us with a fire of unholy passion, I found my spark, I just needed to craft a fire and then, I could help Yelizaveta find her own spark, maybe then, then the sun could fade into the relieving darkness of night. This was the healthiest thing I could do, I should consider myself fortunate too, if I was an only child, this wouldn't be an option - then again, if I was an only child, I wouldn't be in love with my own sister either, so it's not all perfect, that's not to say that I don't want a sister, I would be a wreck without Yelizaveta, I would be a wreck without Sofiya, I needed my sisters, I needed my family. I needed that, but I needed Lady Krystyna too, I needed someone to fall in love with in a healthy way.

"Of course, my Tsarina," Lady Krystyna took my hand and stood up with a smile, I detected something in her voice that almost came across as an uncertain flirt - as if Krystyna wanted to flirt back but feared that it was just wishful thinking - if my hunch was right and Krystyna really was a lesbian, it would hardly surprise me if she's had to deal with rejection upon rejection, relationships turned to dust, and misinterpretation ending in disaster - the fact that Lady Krystyna was perhaps scared of false advances only made me double-down on my hunch that she was a lesbian, she seemed all too familiar with the unfortunate side of being a lesbian in an intolerant time on an intolerant world. I was hardly worried about homosexuality being taboo, I'd rather be caught in a lesbian action a thousand times than be caught in an incestuous action once - most of that was because I knew my feelings for Yelizaveta were wrong, they were tainted with sinfulness and temptation, and they'd only hurt us both in the long term, I'd love it if I could be in love with Liz, but the fact is that she's my sister and that's quite simply intolerable, incest is a bigger taboo than homosexuality, in fact, the only things that seemed worse than incest were the perversions - bestiality, fetishes, abuse, and the like - I wouldn't tolerate someone who wanted to make love with an animal in my Tsardom, I had to realize that my feelings for Liz, in the eyes of many, were no better than bestiality, incest had no place in Russia and I could never, ever be in an incestuous relationship, it was wrong.

"Kolomenskoye is our favorite retreat, built just outside of Moscow, Yelizaveta and I have spent much of our youth here along with our mother and our little sister Sofiya. This building here is the main palace, it contains twelve lounges throughout the building, the kitchen is staffed all year long, serving us on the lavish dining room, your bedroom will also be in this building - I'll show you it at the end of the tour." I explained to Lady Krystyna as I lead her around the first floor of the palace at Kolomenskoye, Yelizaveta followed behind, wearing a neutral smile on her face - my little sister was smart enough to figure out what was going on, she knew that I found my solution, Liz knew that I'd help her find someone as soon as possible, but right now, since I had something, she felt abandoned, she felt like she was going to spend the night tossing and turning and left with her sinful feelings, sinful feelings that threatened to consume her. I felt guilty, how couldn't I? I knew how I felt in those tents and I knew that the only way we got any rest during that whole damned war was to give into the temptation, wrap myself in herself, and fall asleep in the comfort of her embrace, an embrace that was so wrong but felt so right. I had to do something to help Liz out, it was my duty as an older sister, I was happy that I finally had a potential source of happiness with Krystyna, I was eager to start something with the Polish noblewoman, however, sinful or not, I couldn't leave my sister to suffer alone, not even for a night. I'll start something with Krystyna, but the night still belongs to Yelizaveta, I'll help us both ease our sick passions until we both have someone, I'll revel in sin until both of us have a way out.

"It's a beautiful retreat Anastasia, I'd hope to have a place like this when I rule." Krystyna revealed - oh she definitely knew what I wanted from her and she definitely wanted to push her claims just as far, if not farther, as I envisioned, I smirked, we'd be good together. We'd compliment each other politically and we'd compliment each other in the bedroom, I imagined that Krystyna would giggle softly as I straddled her and pinned down her arms, submitting as I pleasured her, however, as I laid down next to her body, watching as she came down, shivering with pleasure, she'd claim over me, letting her mismatched green and hazel eyes survey every inch of my exposed body, her hands following her eyes as she closed the distance between us with a kiss...maybe being with Lady Krystyna wasn't a bad thing at all, maybe I could love her just as much as the sinful feeling I had for my younger sister. I glanced down at our clasped hands as we exited the palace of Kolomenskoye to survey the rest of the grounds, physical contact...maybe that was catalyst I needed to feel something for the Pole. I knew it would be a few nights at least before I could do anything with her at least - I couldn't very well let my little sister end up with just any girl after all - but I knew I felt something for Lady Krystyna and she gave me an opening that was just too good to pass up - I hardly knew how to flirt, but Krystyna wasn't making it hard - it had to be intentional, especially since she paired it with a statement that basically told me she understood the political part of our relationship. She understood the political side, but she was still trying to figure out if there was a romantic side or not, therefore, she left me with an easy opening and I would be a fool not to take it.

"Kolomenskoye, beautiful as it is, cannot match your beauty." I told the woman whose hand I held, I heard a barely restrained giggle from my little sister - Liz knew it was awfully cringeworthy, but she understood that Krystyna laid the most obvious bait on purpose and I replied in the most obvious way possible, Krystyna wanted to know, in no uncertain terms, if I was actually flirting with her or if this was just another false alarm for a beautiful woman longing for love but only attracting male suitors for which she felt no love, no lust, nothing - I responded with a remark which every society would understand as a flirt, I suppose I could have gone in a more intelligent direction, I suppose I could have made this into a game of high brow flirtatiousness, but I didn't want that - I probably didn't have the experience for it either. I went with the simple approach because I knew that a relationship with her would be politically advantageous, I knew that it felt something for her, enough to fantasize about bedding her in the middle of the day, and I knew that I wanted to squash these feelings for Yelizaveta as soon as possible, therefore, I chose to take the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance, I suppose that describes my feelings for Krystyna in a lot of ways, it was far from perfect, it was still a lesbian relationship and, if it did succeed, my romantic and political interests would be at odds as my romantic interests would want to keep her with me for as long as possible while my political interests would want her on the throne of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as soon as possible so that she'd have the rest of her life to press her claims and to take any and all opportunities to expand her realm and thus expand Russian influence, but it was infinitely more acceptable than a lesbian relationship with my own sister - there was no doubting it either, Yelizaveta was my flesh and blood, the three of us all looked alike, the three of us all wore the same blonde hair and blue eyes, and I even held my two newborn sisters - we were one hundred percent related, we shared each and every drop of blood, and, on top of that, we shared the same sex, there were simply two many layers of taboo to negotiate, meanwhile, with Krystyna, lesbianism was the only problem and, at this point, I'll say that homosexuality is a thousand times more tolerable than anything I could have with Yelizaveta. I hated that my body felt this thing, I hated that we had to spend those nights wrapped up in each other, I hated that, even now when I had Lady Krystyna to liberate me from the abyss of these feelings, it still wasn't over, because I wasn't nearly selfish enough to leave Liz all on her own now that I've potentially found love.

"Beauty?" Lady Krystyna asked, a smirk on her face, she seemed relieved, she knew that there was no other way of looking at it, she finally had a woman flirting with her - a Tsarina no less, dare I say a rather attractive one at that? I didn't want to praise my appearance too much, but based on Lady Krystyna's "question," she was about to do just that "A woman with flawless skin, perfect hair, and blue eyes that could fill with salvation or damnation in just the perfect way? Please Anastasia, while negotiating in Warsaw, your eyes told more of a story than a thousand treaties could tell - I saw love when you stole glances with Yelizaveta, I saw respect and admiration when you looked at me, and dismissive disdain for Johann, I can't even get my eyes to be the same damned color."

"I find your eyes incredibly cute actually," I smiled with a nervous laugh, I recognized when flirting was basic and cringeworthy, but when I was trying to flirt as best as I could, I realized that I wasn't much better, however, the woman with a green eye and a hazel eye seemed to understand anyway, there was more to compliment about her too, her skin was flawless too other than some adorable light freckles on her face, and I could imagine my fingers gripping her long, perfect blonde hair as she did things to me with her tongue that I dare not even think about in the presence of Kolomenskoye's Church. I exhaled deeply and hoped that neither Yelizaveta or Krystyna would comment as I tried to quell my lust - this was neither the time nor the place. I was admittedly a bit...longing for stimulus, so to speak, I have been throughout my time away on the war and sleeping entangled with Yelizaveta arguably made it worse rather than taking the edge off, now, that I was back in my own bed, it was going to be hard to hold back my urges, especially considering what I had been doing last time in that bed, especially considering that my feelings for Lady Krystyna have awoken, and, while I hated to admit it, especially considering that Yelizaveta was, once again, going to share my bed, she had her own urges and I wasn't going to let her deal with them on her own. Part of me suggested that we just separate and pleasure ourselves, I can fantasize about Krystyna, however, I knew that wasn't realistic, Yelizaveta could fantasize about me and, if she did that, I feared that she may have a harder time turning away and finding a safe lover, it's better to take her in - I'd rather give her material to fantasize about than opportunity to fantasize about it. This wasn't easy, I hardly knew how to deal with incestuous feelings, let alone mutual incestuous feelings, I didn't know what the right solution was, but this certainly wasn't it. Wrapping myself around Yelizaveta all night definitely wasn't the best solution, but it was at least the solution that would give me control and prevent her from getting off on this sin. Perhaps that was better though, maybe that was the next stage of our getting the edge off plan...how long could we lay in the same bed and control ourselves? Which solution was the worse one after all? I didn't know, I certainly couldn't go to this church for help, I could write a novel with nothing but the sins in my thoughts.

"This of course is the church," Yelizaveta, thankfully, butted in and kept the tour going as I was once again consumed by my own thoughts, once again, I shook my mind clear - a plethora of sins flowed through my brain, each and every sin that I've pushed to the back of my mind ever since Liz and I embarked with The Russian Imperial Army was flooding back, I delayed everything until I returned to Kolomenskoye and, now that I have, my thoughts were making it impossible for me to actually use this return to solve the problems like I had intended. I was making progress with Lady Krystyna but I couldn't selfishly jump in head first, at least not until I helped Yelizaveta find someone to distract her from these incestuous feelings the way that Krystyna was already distracting me, the Polish noblewoman offered me a path that I could at least pursue, that meant that I could encourage the fantasies, that went my body, my body that longs for stimulus, will produce the thoughts that will get it stimulus, hence, fantasies with Yelizaveta were suddenly replaced with fantasies of Krystyna, fantasies which I would thank my body for, fantasies which I was eager to turn into realities. I took another deep breath, this one was to compose myself.

"It's an Orthodox church, I apologize, but we don't have a Catholic institution on our resort grounds." I explained once I finally got back down to earth, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was a Catholic monarchy, a Catholic monarchy with plenty of Jews, plenty of Orthodox Christians, and plenty of Protestants, particularly in Germanic regions such as Prussia, however, it was still a Catholic country and the Poles themselves were heavily Catholic, the minority religions belonged to minority populations in the large and diverse country, anyway, while we did have many more Catholics in The Tsardom of Russia now that we've annexed so much territory from the Poles and the Lithuanians, those Catholic territories weren't anywhere near Moscow, in fact, our Muslim populations were closer to Moscow than our Catholic ones, hence, we didn't have a church, not yet anyway.

"That's fine, while I am Catholic, I am not particularly devout." Lady Krystyna replied, she wasn't worried about us not having a church - I'm sure she'll have plenty of glorious, architectural marvels of Cathedrals built while ruling The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and, beyond that, Bohemia, then Transylvania, then Hungary, and then Naples, however, that didn't mean that she was devout. I did wonder why this was the case, I had my suspicions, naturally, however, I was still curious enough to ask and I wondered how the Polish noblewoman would answer - did I already know her so well that my prediction rang true? She seemed to know me pretty damn well already, she gauged my reactions during the negotiation process perfectly - I did love Yelizaveta, I did respect her, and I was certainly dismissive of the Prussian who calls himself King of Poland - I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice how she referred to the Prussian as Johann rather than Jan despite the fact that the German officially adopted the Polish spelling, that spoke volumes, Lady Krystyna found no comfort in the Prussian's attempt to adopt Polish customs and she reveled in his failures - it was easy to see why the formed a rivalry and equally easy to see why the Prussian was so eager to let Lady Krystyna accompany me back to Russia, it was the only victory he got at the negotiation table that wasn't thanks to the Polish noblewoman.

"Why would that be?" I asked, wanting to learn if I knew Lady Krystyna that well already.

"Well..." she glanced at my sister before deciding to proceed - my guess is that Krystyna wasn't sure how much my little sister knew but she was willing to proceed because of how openly and how blatantly I flirted in her presence "The Catholic Church - all religions really - take a rather dim view towards our orientation, needless to say, this means that I'm not particularly enthused with the idea of regular church attendance. I mean I appreciate a beautiful church as much as anyone else and I'll try and build a few as a ruler, however, that's more because of the value my people will put into them than because I actually want to...it's hard to be zealous when the Church tries to deny me my form of love."

"I understand," I replied "I wish that homosexuality wasn't as taboo as it does - if it's any consolation, lesbianism technically isn't illegal in Russia, though I know just as well as you do that a technicality doesn't matter much when it really comes down to it."

"Yeah, you do understand...you're a good woman Anastasia, I'm glad I came here with you." Krystyna shot me a smile and we locked eyes, walking away from the church - I wanted to kiss her so bad, I wanted to seal the deal with this relationship, however, I had enough restraint to avoid a lesbian kiss just outside of a church...barely. I wanted to make things better for gays and lesbians in The Tsardom of Russia, though I know that it's not the type of thing that I'd be able to do on its own, I'd have to bury it under a whole bunch of law changes - perhaps I could kill a few birds with one stone and introduce a whole new law code bringing absolute monarch to Russia, I could concentrate my authority, cut down the power of the nobles, and, in a convenient accident, omit any laws punishing homosexuality. So this is what politics is like, burying laws within laws and omitting others as it suits me, all in the name of a secret agenda. I didn't hate politics, I thought that I was fairly good at it and I only wanted to get better, however, I must admit that it's far from perfect, I must admit that I could easily see how a bad person could abuse the political system, I must admit it's easy to see how this could descend into partisan gridlock, however, I will make sure that gridlock is impossible because I will ensure that Russian politics become a pyramid with the Tsarina on top, what I say is law and my subjects must enforce it.

We walked away from the church and, taking the long way back to the palace, passing the servants housing, we returned to the main part of Kolomenskoye. We entered the building and found ourselves in an empty hallway, wasting no further time, I grabbed Lady Krystyna's other hand, the two of us faced each other, trading nervous smiles with fleeting glances - one of my glances was directed towards Yelizaveta, the sixteen year old girl leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow with a bemused expression on her face...I almost expected her to appear jealous, as crazy as it was, but if she was, she didn't show it - perhaps it was because she knew I wanted out of this situation, perhaps she did too, perhaps she was just happy because I was happy, all I knew for certain is that Yelizaveta didn't appear to be jealous, in fact, she was playing the role of the supportive little sister watching her big sister get her first kiss - that was all the blessing I needed. Our foreheads touched, our hands were still clasped together, and all there was left to do was connect our lips.

I was nervous, I'd be lying if I said otherwise, but as I looked into those eyes, one hazel and the other green, separate in color but united in passion, my nerves meant nothing to me anymore. I closed the distance between our lips in a kiss. It started as very tentative, very academic, very inexperienced, however, it melted into something far more raw, something far more passionate, something far more natural, it dragged on and on and either of us minded, in fact, the kiss only grew bigger and bigger. The first move came from Lady Krystyna as she bit my bottom lap, I gasped without breaking off the kiss and Krystyna took the opportunity to slip her tongue into my mouth, not to be undone, I was responsible for the second move, I took my hands out of her hands and then I gripped her hips as I made her back up a few feet, taking control of the kiss as my tongue wrapped itself around her own and explored more of her mouth. The Polish noblewoman was hungry, she wasn't going to let me win, she responded to the hands around her hips by wrapping her hands around my neck and she raised her leg against mine as much as her dress would allow to press herself deeper into my body. Lady Krystyna but up a valiant effort but she got too greedy, too quickly, and I was eager to take advantage, thus, without changing our position much, I walked her back into the wall and gently pinned her warm body between my own and the wall, only a pair of regal dresses keeping us apart and only my sister keeping me from dragging the Pole into a bedroom and ravishing her.

"Guys...someone is coming." Yelizaveta warned and the two of us broke apart, none too soon either as Sofiya entered into our hallway, noticed us, and happily approached, the two of us just barely separated and just barely able to handle the facade of innocence - I wanted to me honest to Sofiya, however, my practical side told me to at least wait until she found a man she loved for me to reveal that Yelizaveta and I are lesbians - I wanted my little sister to find love without knowing the pressure to produce an heir or heiress, I want her to find a man that she loves rather than finding a man who could produce the most qualified heirs for The Tsardom of Russia - I didn't mind who Sofiya married, so long as she found someone that she truly liked, now, of course, a certain amount of noble blood was necessary, but I didn't care if she found a foreign Prince or a local Count. Things were simple enough considering that one of us three sisters are heterosexual, thus, Yelizaveta and I shall not need to produce heirs, however, not producing heirs is one thing, not getting married at all is another - I'm sure that I could figure something out, find some excuse why we're both single, but I'm also sure that I wouldn't like carrying a child and I could tell that Yelizaveta wouldn't like to either, however, it seems that Sofiya would like it, or, at least, that she, the youngest of us three, wanted a husband as well - I could help her with finding both of those, especially now that my own life was in order, I only had to worry about my two younger sisters. I'd get Yelizaveta a lover and I'd help arrange a marriage for Sofiya, they just needed to find the right person and I understood that finding the right people for these two is no easy task, but I will help them, I will do what I can.

"I finally found you two, welcome back." the fifteen year old greeted, giving me and Yelizaveta a hung, evidently she'd been looking for us - I wouldn't be surprised if the staff directed her to the lounge we were sitting in just after we left on our tour of the grounds - we probably should've told someone that we were going on a tour. Kolomenskoye was staffed with cooks, servants, and maids, however, we deliberately kept the guards light - we had them positioned at the gates and we had a few patrolling the walls, additionally, we had a patrol party search the grounds just after dusk and just before dawn, but we didn't want to feel overwhelmed by their protection, it was a retreat after all, the palace was at the Kremlin. I intended for my new palace to replace both the Kremlin and Kolomenskoye, it would be the biggest architectural marvel in all of Russia, and it would be a tangible testament to the rise of royal power in The Tsardom of Russia. I'd entice the nobles to live in the lap of infinite luxury within the walls of my magnificent palace, meanwhile, I'd create a pyramid of bureaucrats loyal to me, promoted on merit, to take control of the lands those nobles held, and those who wouldn't be attracted by my offer of careless excess would have to contend with a decades old Russian institution that can send a shiver down the spines of the mightiest of boyars - the oprichnina, our secret police. It was hardly moral to send my oprichniki to brutally hunt down the nobles who resisted me, however, for the good of the state, I must concentrate royal authority, Russia has had more than enough meddling from the nobles, more than once the nobility have tried to offer the crown to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth when that state was at its peak, but no more, now, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is firmly in our sphere of influence and our nobility will never be a problem again, I will stop them, I will turn Russia into an absolute monarchy, I will transform the state with new laws, new institutions, and new ranks, all of which will work together to strengthen my power at the expense of everything else. The nobles shall not stop me, the church shall not stop me, not even The Ottomans will stop me.

"Hello Sofiya," I greeted my youngest sister before introducing her to Lady Krystyna, introducing her to the woman she nearly caught me kissing long before I intended to reveal my sexuality to the fifteen year old "This is Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, an honored guest from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - you'll be seeing her a lot more now, I have wonderful plans for this wonderful woman."

"Hello Lady Krystyna, my name is Sofiya Aleksandrovna, second in line for the Russian throne - you can call me Sophie." my youngest sister introduced herself properly but not without her usual careless charm - Sophie was content to live lightly, she'd enjoy far too many treats for her own good, she'd enjoy royal luxury, but she'd enjoy no responsibilities - I didn't exactly approve, but I loved my family and I could see that Sophie was happy, I wouldn't force her to take on anymore responsibilities now that I've secretly left her solely responsible for continuing the royal line, that was more than enough pressure to put on a fifteen year old, that was more than enough to make me feel guilty, that was more than enough to make me feel incredibly selfish.

"I see you didn't burn the place down while we were gone, that's a good sign...or is it?" Yelizaveta asked with a smirk on her lips, she was eager as anyone to tease her little sister - truth be told Kolomenskoye was spotless, Sophie didn't do anything wrong or, if she did, it was nothing that our staff couldn't handle, in fact, I'd imagine that she was pretty much left alone by the Muscovite nobility, especially with the eccentric Cossack general turned nobleman Perevernykruchenko helping lead the war effort in the Ukraine rather than helping the clueless and inbred nobility try and take control in my absence, so I think Sofiya was effectively left alone to her own devices, whether or not she necessarily enjoyed that is a different matter - my guess is that she enjoyed it at first but, after awhile, she came to miss her older sisters Anastasia and Yelizaveta, hence, poor little Sophie came looking for us as soon as she heard we were back.

"Oh I was just about to set the curtains on fire just to get a reaction from the staff - you guys shouldn't be gone for so long, a bored Sofiya is a dangerous Sofiya." my little sister smirked in reply to Yelizaveta, I'm glad we could still have fun despite the circumstances - when we were in Moscow, we were Tsarina Anastasia, Tsarevna Yelizaveta, and Tsarevna Sofiya, in Kolomenskoye, we could be Nastya, Liz, and Sophie, we could be our true selves and we could have fun - now, I could bring Lady Krystyna into this, I could find a lover for Liz and bring her into this, and I could find a husband for Sophie and bring him into this, we could enjoy our last few good years here while waiting for my new palace in my new square of new my district of Moscow - even the most ambitious architect would take years just to make the palace I envisioned livable, it would take decades more to complete every fine detail, especially since I envisioned a palace built with the most modern, the most excessive, and the most luxurious baroque style possible - I'd have to hire some foreign architects to do it, probably Italians, while the peak of the Renaissance was awhile ago, the Italians are still the leaders in art and architecture.

The four of us, now a quartet, completed our tour of Kolomenskoye, we sat together for dinner, laughing and smiling our way through a meal as servants happily served us everything we could ask for - they were glad to have their Tsarina back, they were glad to have an honored guest from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, they were glad to have the three little girls they watched grow up blossom into beautiful, smart, and powerful young women. Kolomenskoye would still be there once I built my new palace, it wouldn't be nearly as useful and we would hardly need a retreat when we had a palace as large and luxurious as the one I envisioned, however, I didn't quite have the heart to say we'd never come here again, no, even in the most modern palace in the world, there was something missing, something that could only be found here at Kolomenskoye - memories, love, family. As I glanced over at Lady Krystyna, I saw that the Polish noblewoman took to my family effortlessly, she could laugh, joke around, and get along with my sisters perfectly...I wanted her to meet my mother, I didn't know if I could tell my mourning mother that I was a lesbian right away, that's a shock to the system that I didn't think that the poor woman could take right now, but I wanted her to know that I was successful as a Tsarina and that I found someone to make me happy. I wasn't going to lie to my mother about it, but I wasn't going to say anything concrete until I saw that she was ready, nor would I speak for Yelizaveta, her sexuality was her secret and she'd tell our mother when she was ready. Still, it was hard to keep my sexuality a secret from anyone now that I found Lady Krystyna, I held hands with the Polish noblewoman under the table, I stole glances with her whenever possible, and I couldn't help but be far more enthused when Krystyna told stories than when my sisters did.

Perhaps that's why I took Lady Krystyna to her room as soon as dinner was over, I knew there was no reason to do that so soon, but I couldn't wait for a private moment with the Polish noblewoman, therefore, I took her up to her room, I opened the door, and I revealed the luxurious room to Krystyna. I told her about the dressing room on the left and the private bathing room on the right, I told her that I could assign her a maid or two to help her out during her stay, I told her plenty of things about the room and about Kolomenskoye but the fact is that, as soon as we walked into Krystyna's bedroom, both of us could only focus on the bed, both of us could only imagine what we could do to each other on that bed.

I felt bold, I pushed Krystyna back onto the bed and I climbed over her, straddling the Pole, watching the hazel and green eyes, eyes so different but eyes filling up with the exact same feeling - this time, it was raw, animalistic lust. I was sure my blue eyes weren't much different as I closed the distance between our lips, kissing, biting, and licking at Krystyna's lips while my hands explored her sides, feeling her curves from beneath her beautiful yet thin dress, feeling yet bolder, I reached my hand up, I felt her ample chest. I almost lost control when a moan escaped from Krystyna's lips. This was going too fast, we weren't ready for this, I couldn't do this until I found someone for Yelizaveta, I couldn't be in here while Yelizaveta needed me. I harshly and abruptly broke away from the Polish noblewoman, I broke away from the feelings I was longing for, I promised myself that I would be there for Liz tonight.

"I'm sorry Krystyna, I want this, I want this more than you could possibly imagine, but not tonight...it's too soon." I spoke a half truth to my soon to be lover as I left her room, leaving both of us entirely unsatisfied. I fled Krystyna's room and I went to my room, I went to where I knew my little sister was going to be waiting, I went to help her when I could've saved myself.

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Wow, I didn't think that this chapter would come out like this, but I'm happy with this, I'll get into more alt-historical aspects with chapter fifteen.


	13. Kingdoms of Sand

Alright, last chapter we touched back in on Russia as Anastasia and Yelizaveta returned to Kolomenskoye with Lady Krystyna of Poland as their guest, however, here, we return to The Ottoman Empire and their way in Arabia. This and chapter fourteen will be the final Ottoman chapters of act one and chapter fifteen in Russia will finish up act one. There will be five chapters of peace at the beginning of act two, as I mentioned a few chapters ago, and then we'll get into The Russo-Ottoman war for the remainder of act two. Act one and act two will both be fifteen chapters long and I'm not quite sure how long act three will turn out to be but it will most likely be either ten or fifteen chapters. I'm not sure how long word wise this story ends up but, at the rate we've been going, a forty-ish chapter story could wind up being as long as 350,000 words, a lot more than I envisioned at first. I'm glad to see this story grow, I'm proud of it, I like writing, and, sometimes, it even amazes me how easily the words flow - chapter twelve for instance is one of the longest chapters in the whole story at 11,000 words, I finished that on a wednesday when, other times, I've been writing and writing away at an 8,000 word chapter until literally the saturday before I post it, all of this to say that, regardless of the view numbers, I'm proud of this story and I'm committed to finishing it, even as my summer ends and I'm left with less time to write. Basically, I love writing this story and, if you're reading this, I appreciate it dearly.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter XIII.

Kingdoms of Sand.

* * *

The Ottoman Empire was repelled at the First Siege of Bahrain, but we were far from done, we would be back, we would be back with twice as many troops thanks to joining up with our army in Yemen and The Ottoman Navy, fresh from the Mediterranean Sea, would round the southern tip of Africa and sail all the way to the Persian Gulf so that we could crush the Portuguese navy - it was risky to sail past the Straits of Gibraltar, the Portuguese controlled the Atlantic coastal waters just beyond the straits and they controlled many of the ports around the coast of Africa, but if anyone could manage it, it was the man that the Spanish called El Diablo, the Barbary Pirate who made himself known as a scourge to the might Spanish Navy, the Spanish Navy which was very similar to the Portuguese Navy. I could at least ensure that El Diablo and his ships will have a few free ports right at the end of their journey thanks to my army in Yemen capturing Aden and now that army and my own would meet in the outskirts of Muscat to lay siege to the city, we would capture it and we would expel the Portuguese garrison and their trade mission, freeing up the port so that El Diablo and his sailors could rest and prepare for their clash in the Persian Gulf.

The mission seemed simple enough, but this war was taxing on me, unnecessarily so, after I saw what the Portuguese commanders did to the Arabian armies they commanded and after Fatimah told me that's how much of the world saw The Ottomans, it made it hard to call myself Sultana of The Ottoman Empire and it made it especially hard to lead armies knowing that some of my soldiers, particularly those drafted into service from the Balkans, may fear that I'll lead them to their deaths just like the Portuguese commanders did. Those commanders were monsters, I didn't want to be a monster, I was a victim of an Ottoman monster, so, whether my soldiers may believe it or not, whether my future subjects may believe it or not, I will not treat them a way a monster would, I'll be good, benevolent, and I'll work to improve the Empire, all of the Empire, thanks to Fatimah's plans, I can touch every region of the Empire. The Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire will help me turn North Africa into a bread basket, she'll cut Africa apart from Asia to unite the Mediterranean with the Red Sea with a canal that can reshape the role of our navy on the world stage - raving that sailing all around Africa, El Diablo could simply cut through a chunk of Egyptian coast between the two seas - and Fatimah and I can ensure that The Ottoman Empire is more than just a Turkish civilization, she's an Arab from North Africa and I'm a Greek from Crimea, I can rally the Christians of the Empire behind me and she can rally the Arabs behind her, meanwhile, the Turks remain loyal to their Empire, that way, we can unite the three biggest populations with the Empire and usher in a golden age where the Empire is strong, solidified, and able to hold its borders - we shall focus on value and permanence in land above the amount of land, we shall not be yet another Turkic state to rise and then fade into oblivion a few centuries later - we are not the Seljuks, we are not The Sultanate of Rum, we are not the Timurids, we are The Ottoman Empire and we shall outlast our predecessors.

"My Sultana-regent," Fatimah bowed lowed with a smirk on her lips as she entered my tent, making sure that I saw her cleavage thanks to her low bow and the equally low neckline on her dress. Fatimah was an excellent Grand Vizier but she was a naughty woman, I mean, to wear a dress like that in Arabia? That could be considered downright scandalous - no veil, no headscarf, not even sleeves, but the Grand Vizier hardly cared, she wasn't dressing for stubborn Islamic clerics, she was dressing for me. I smiled as she kissed me on the lips before settling down next to me, sitting so close to me that our bodies brushed together despite the ample room throughout the tent - I recognized what was going on, Fatimah saw how affected I was in that battle against the Portuguese and she saw that I was hardly happy about the failure at The First Siege of Bahrain, therefore, she came here trying to cheer me up and let me focus on the war going forward rather than on any failures during the first stage of the war. I must admit, as tempting as it was to turn North Africa into a food producing region, coming here to cheer me up was the best idea that my Grand Vizier ever had, I haven't known her all that long and I'm still hesitant to say if what we share is love, but I do know that she's already doing her best to light up my world, she's already being the person I need in my life now that I'm Sultana of The Ottoman Empire, she's already making me want to do unspeakable things to her, things I don't even know how to do yet considering that my own sexual experience to date was laying back as my husband rather carelessly performed heterosexual sex - I'd imagine that doing such things with Fatimah would be far more pleasurable, far more careful, and far more loving.

"My Grand Vizier," I replied as I pulled her even closer and kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine despite the blazing heat of the Arabian desert, Fatimah pretended to not be affected, she pretended to focus on the various maps and charts in front of her, but we both knew that she was longing for the next level just as much as I was, however, we were in a tent in the Arabian desert, this is no place for a Sultana and her Grand Vizier to make love, we deserved the most luxurious bed imaginable, we deserved to make love on the clouds, we deserved to have our love immortalized in marble - the Islamic Ottoman Empire would hardly approve of that, but hey, we definitely had the marble to spare, the only downside is that I'd imagine that having a sculptor in the bedroom would be quite the mood plan had to go back to the drawing board, for now anyway. I turned my attention to the maps and charts that Fatimah brought with her - they were rudimentary battle plans for The Siege of Muscat as well as The Second Siege of Bahrain, additionally, she plotted El Diablo's likely course and even mapped out a few ports that were likely to be safe for Ottoman ships, and she even estimated when El Diablo and his ships could arrive - very good, very good. Fatimah probably talked with our generals and our commanders and they developed these plans together before she came here to present the plans to me. I couldn't see a single flaw, I didn't expect to see a single flaw when Fatimah was involved, and I happily approved her plans, we'd be successful this time, Bahrain would fall, the Portuguese would lose, and Arabia would belong to The Ottoman Empire. Fatimah and I would return to Konstantiniyye as heroines and we could focus on her plans for containing the Russian threat, we accepted that this won't be a type of war where we gain any land, however, we don't have to lose any land either, if we fight hard enough, if we hold the line, and if we score some victories over the mighty armies of The Tsardom of Russia and her allies in Georgia and Poland, then maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to end this war without giving up either Crimea or our Caucasian territory, that already would be a victory.

The Tsardom of Russia was a problem, especially now that they had The Kingdom of Georgia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on their side, Georgia because they present a fortified, established Caucasian Kingdom while we're protecting land that was recently conquered from the Persians, Persians who, admittedly, didn't keep their defenses nearly as modern as they should've. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth presented a strong and proud country content on proving itself as a credible threat after a crippling defeat by the Russians - the Poles and the Lithuanians would be fighting to regain their honor, they might demand some land back, particularly Moldavia considering that it had, briefly, been a vassal of The Kingdom of Poland before it was conquered by The Ottoman Empire, The Principality of Wallachia had delayed The Ottoman Empire just long enough for the Poles to get their claws into the other independent Romanian Principality, but not for long enough to keep Moldavia from getting into Ottoman hands eventually, now, our old enemy threatened to regain it. The Tsardom of Russia is a whole new level of threat, they're the ones who crippled The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and they have the strength to defeat us on their own, however, we could use their allies as a weakness rather than an asset, we could bring the fighting to Poland and to Georgia, forcing the Russians to aid their allies in addition to attacking us in Crimea and in the Caucasus, also, I felt that Russia either underestimated their strength or overestimated our own, perhaps both, but either way, I wanted to use that to our advantage, I'd like to bluff the Russians and beat them mentally, perhaps that mental victory will be the key to a victory on the battlefield. I shook my head, I knew that we needed to plan for the inevitable war against Russia, but I also knew that we were fighting in Arabia right now and the smartest thing to do is to concentrate on defeating The Kingdom of Portugal and the various Arabian Sultanates they've allied to. I was determined to defeat the Portuguese and their allies, these weak Kingdoms of the sand could not stand up against The Ottoman Empire, not even with help from the mighty Portuguese.

"Everything's set?" I asked Fatimah, whispering in her ear with an arm wrapped around her waist and all the while still kissing her neck. Tomorrow we'd turn this war around, tomorrow we'd defeat the Portuguese and the Arabs on every front, tomorrow we'd prove that our loss at The Siege of Bahrain was nothing but an outlier, we're The Ottoman Empire, we've crushed The Mamluks, we've wiped Hungary off the map, and we've sent the Byzantines to hell, the Portuguese shall not stop us, El Diablo shall humble their mighty navy, in the meantime, Fatimah and I shall humble their army. All of that can wait for tomorrow however, today, I have a beautiful, smart, and amazing young woman in my tent and, while we can't do everything we'd like to do, we can at least spend the night together.

"Everything is set and approved, my Sultana regent, now, shall we explore more important matters?" Fatimah smirked, she had the business out of the way, now, she could focus on pleasure. I laid back and watched impatiently as Fatimah put the maps and charts away, shut the tent, and, finally, climbed on top of my, straddling me and pressing our lips together. This was the woman who would rule The Ottoman Empire with me, this was the woman who would help me conquer all of Arabia, this was the woman who would help me halt The Tsardom of Russia in its tracks. I should stop worrying about how quickly this is going, I should stop worrying about whether or not this is love, I wanted more with Fatimah and I knew that she wanted more as well, we're only wasting time by holding back, for all I know, we'll both end up dead tomorrow, anticlimactically blown to bits by Portuguese cannons, I know that the tents mean that we can't do anything tonight regardless, but the point is that life is too short for these games. I thought my life was over at nineteen, I thought that I'd be nothing more than the Sultan's obedient wife, squirming in his grasp as he demanded heirs, however, he's dead and now I'm left with control of The Ottoman Empire until my son grows up, I'm free now, freer than anyone else in the whole Ottoman Empire and Fatimah makes me feel alive again, so why shouldn't I show her exactly how grateful I am the next time we get an open bed? I'd like to see anyone try and stop me, especially when I offer her all of Arabia as an aphrodisiac.

* * *

The next battle in this War for Arabia came as my armies passed through The Sultanate of Oman on our way to Muscat, The Sultanate of Hormuz, The Sultanate of Yemen, and The Sultanate of Najd were all Sunni Islamic countries, meanwhile, the island of Bahrain was populated by Shia Muslims under the rule of the Catholic Portuguese - Yemen also contains quite a few Shia Muslims, though the Sunnis are in power - however, The Sultanate of Oman is neither Sunni nor Shia, rather, it follows the Ibadi Islamic faith, these religious differences could be used to turn these Arabs against each other, weakening the alliance set up around Hormuz and Portugal, however, I didn't want to put these Arabs through that anymore, at this point, I'd rather turn them all against the Portuguese than turn any of them against each other. Nevertheless, the Omani troops and their Portuguese commanders were in no mood to negotiate as we engaged each other in battle. I gave my troops specific instructions to target the Portuguese commanders, using the excuse that doing so would disorient the enemy troops, in reality, it was mainly because I knew that, if Omani commanders took charge of their troops, they wouldn't fight to the death like the soldiers of Hormuz did. This was a merciful decision more than a tactical one, still, I knew that it would be hard to pull off, the best bet would be that the Portuguese realized we were targeting them specifically and thus ordered a retreat, but even then, I cannot say how they would respond.

My artillery battered the Portuguese artillery rather than the Omani troops, we were targeting Iberians rather than Arabians whenever possible and that meant that the artillery - which consisted solely of Portuguese men considering that the Portuguese didn't trust their so-called allies with cannons - was an obvious target. I don't know if the Portuguese commanders noticed our behavior and grew wary or what, but they clearly became sluggish when giving orders today, therefore, our infantry instantly took the advantage and our guns and pikes quickly tore through the Omani ranks. I smiled every once and awhile when I saw the rouge shot or two startle the Portuguese commanders on horseback - my troops were making an effort to hit them and our enemies were taking notice, particularly their artillery crews who were taking a beating as our cannons filled the air in front of them with smoke, sand, and molten steel, making it impossible for their cannons to hit everything and inflicting massive amounts of damage on the Portuguese artillery - the cannon crews coughed out sand and blood as they barked out orders, the loaders were showered with red hot steel as they loaded their own cannonballs, waiting for us to let up for a second so they could get a shot out, and the Portuguese commanders' faces filled with fear as they realized what we were doing. The Arabians were not our enemy, not really anyway, our enemy was The Kingdom of Portugal which clawed at the heart of the Islamic world for their own economic interests, we would not allow that, we would annex their client states, we would eject the Portuguese from Muscat and Bahrain, and we will fight tooth and nail against any other European power who thinks that they're strong enough to take a bite out of Ottoman Arabia. The Portuguese commanders gave the order to retreat while more than half of the Omani soldiers stood alive and well - I smirked, we found their weakness, the Portuguese would make the Arabians fight to the death, but when their lives were in danger, they'd run away with their tails in between their legs.

These were not proper Iberian generals, these were not men of the same stock as those who have actually defeated The Ottoman Empire in battle, no, these commanders are petty nobles searching for glory or gentry intent on making themselves rich through trade here in the Indian Ocean, the real generals are fighting in Morocco or carving out a vast Empire for Portugal in South America and Africa, those men have more honor than these who would sacrifice every Arabian but not a single Iberian - now, that's not to say that the Iberians haven't been dishonorable, they've done brutal things to Jews and Muslims alike under the guise of an Inquisition and they've shredded through native populations in the Americas, but even then, they are not nearly as callous, not nearly as immoral as these damned opportunists in Arabia, they are a far cry from the generals and admirals that made the Portuguese and the Spanish what they are today. I'm not sure how invested The Crown of Portugal is in this conflict, but I hope that this isn't the best that they have to offer, surely the mighty Portuguese are better than this, I know they're better than this, The Ottoman Empire has seen Spain and Portugal fighting at their peak, what these men in Arabia are doing is nothing but an insult to their own countries, The Kingdom of Portugal is a power that should be feared and respected around the globe, their representatives in Arabia are nothing but small, weak, and cruel men who serve as little more than an insult to chivalry, The Catholic Church, and anything else they claim to stand for.

The troops rested and buried the dead while Fatimah and I settled down in our tent, I felt a lot better after this battle than I did last time we fought against the Portuguese and their Arabian allies, today, we found their weakness, today, we watched the Portuguese and Omanis retreat together, today, I think that we showed the Arabians that The Ottoman Empire is a better choice than The Kingdom of Portugal, because specifically targeted the Portuguese, we targeted our true enemies rather than the Arabian troops, we offered them a way out. The Arabians could rise up against the Portuguese and the cowardly nobles would flee because they're not real generals while the opportunists would flee because a revolt against the Portuguese in Arabia would make Arabia a lot less valuable, therefore, if Oman chose to, they could be rid of the Portuguese within a few days, the same offer extends to Yemen, the same offer extends to Najd, the same offer extends to Najd, all I ask in return is that these regions are incorporated into The Ottoman Empire. I will allow Arabia considerable autonomy and I shall not disturb Shia or Ibadi populations, in fact, I shall work to improve Arabia and bring The Ottoman Empire into the Indian Ocean trade network via the peninsula. I only intend to improve the situation for the Arabians, I understand that The Ottoman Empire doesn't have the best reputation, but hopefully Fatimah and I could fix that.

"That went better," I replied, taking the hand of the woman who I called Grand Vizier, the woman who I called my lover, the woman who I could call a thousand beautiful things and still feel as if it wasn't enough, I was pleased today, I was happy that the battle went better than the last one, and I was happy that I had a woman like her with me every step of the way. This was a bond that could cripple Arabian Sultanates, this was a bond that could defeat The Kingdom of Portugal, this was a bond that could even slow down the mighty Tsardom of Russia. I love Fatimah, I'm not afraid to say it another, I love her and I'm sure that she loves me, because of that, we can do the impossible, we're fighting for more than just The Ottoman Empire, we're fighting for more than just land, we're fighting to be worthy of each other. I want nothing more than to see Fatimah looking on me with adoration as we lead The Ottoman Empire into greatness, I want her to be there when little Abdullah Timur finally makes his first steps, I want nothing more than to hear her scream my name to the heavens as I make her feel things that she's never felt before, as I do things I've never done before, as I enjoy sex in a way I've never enjoyed it before.

"Your idea worked, go you!" Fatimah congratulated me before planting a kiss on my lips - oh I intend to thank her the same way many, many times as her many, many plans and schemes come to fruition. I was intrigued the moment I saw her enter the throne room at Konstantiniyye, the lone woman among the candidates, the one who dressed in a fashion many in the Ottoman court consider scandalous, the one who let her credentials speak for themselves, I envisioned great things with her, but I never envisioned that I'd be head over heels in love with her as we conquer the Arabian peninsula together, I never envisioned this, I thought my life was over at only nineteen, but now, with Fatimah at my side, I feel like I have my whole life ahead of me, I feel like we have our whole lives ahead of us, the Sultana and the Grand Vizier, the most powerful women in the world. Tsarina Anastasia may be able to challenge that claim, Russia is a strong realm and they definitely have an edge militarily, however, as a whole package, I believe greater trade relations and a more advantageous geographic position makes Fatimah and I more powerful considering that we rule The Ottoman Empire, though, I do admit that the balance of power could change rather quickly, especially considering that The Tsardom of Russia had The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on their side which would open up fronts in Moldavia and perhaps even Hungary, and The Kingdom of Georgia which would guarantee the Russians a way of bypassing the Caucasus Mountains, denying us a natural barrier, however, right now, I'm confidant that I am, overall, more powerful than the Tsarina of Russia. It is rather unfortunate that Anastasia and I must be enemies, I could see us becoming allies if I had become Princess of Theodoro rather than the wife of the Sultan, she could provide my realm with security and I could provide her with an excuse for annexing Crimea - perhaps The Principality of Theodoro could've taken the peninsula itself while Russia took the mainland territories of Ottoman Crimea. There was a time not too long ago when I longed for that life, but not anymore, now, I'm glad to be Sultana of The Ottoman Empire, I'm glad to rule with Fatimah at my side, I was glad to be here in Arabia liberating the peninsula from The Kingdom of Portugal and their proud Sultanates turned pitiful puppet states. We would defeat them all, we were the mighty Ottoman Empire and we've fought great coalitions of European powers, we've fought the Venetians, the Poles, the Austrians, the Hungarians, and countless other powers from every corner of Europe, the Portuguese won't stop us, not even with an army of Arabian cannon fodder at their disposal, we'll win this war and we'll prove that at The Siege of Muscat.

* * *

"Spartak Pasha," the smile fell from my lips instantly when I saw the man who had assumed control of my army in Yemen - I know for a fact that Fatimah did not place Ibrahim Pasha's Albanian protege in command of that army, in fact, he wasn't even supposed to be involved in this war at all, yet, here he is, acting as a general and commanding the army that's joining up with my own for The Siege of Muscat. Between these two armies, we had nearly forty thousand men ready to surround the port city, ready to push the Arabians out, ready to eradicate the Portuguese trade mission, it all seemed so perfect, yet, the man who threatened me in my own throne room when I chose Fatimah as my Grand Vizier was standing right in front of Fatimah and I. I didn't trust this at all, the way I see it, there's two options here: the first is that he's trying to get me to put my guard down so he and those traditionalists loyal to him could strike, the other is that his attempts to unite the traditionalists behind him have failed and he, like a pathetic opportunistic, decided to worm his way into my inner circle by being a sycophant. The second was less dangerous and, in some ways, more plausible, however, I'm still not sure how big exactly the traditionalist faction is and I don't have any proof one way or the other as to whether or not they're affiliated with the Levantine assassins who murdered my husband. The Ottoman Empire reeked of conspiracy right now, I was partly responsible as well given that I conspired with Olga - Captain Draganov - to murder Ibrahim Pasha and now, now his protege maybe just be looking for revenge. I was suspicious of the Albania, I couldn't deny that, however, I would leave him be for now, he may prove to be far more useful as an unwitting mole than he ever could if he was dead, besides, if he intended to have me murdered, why would he show his face this early?

Perhaps the Albanian thought that appearing to patch things up would remove him as a suspect, but those in my inner circle - Fatimah and Olga - wouldn't trust anything he did at this point if something happened to me and Spartak Pasha so much as mentioned being there, he would immediately be their first suspect, my inner circle was too smart and too loyal for his pathetic schemes. Speaking of Fatimah, my Grand Vizier was hardly impressed with the Albanian Pasha either, that reminded me of the day I named her Grand Vizier, she reacted to Spartak's antics with nothing more than a bemused expression and mild impatience, she saw him as nothing more than annoyance - I wish it were than simple, I'd love to be able to dismiss him entirely, however, I had to assume that the traditionalists are very dangerous and, until I can prove otherwise, I have to assume that they ordered the Levantine assassination on my husband and predecessors - I had to assume that they were as dangerous as they could conceivably be, it's far safer to overestimate a threat than it is to underestimate one.

"My Sultana-regent," Spartak Pasha bowed, perhaps he was going with the sycophant angle, I'd certainly be watching his every move, in fact, it might be safer to bring him closer rather than to shut him out, perhaps I could get him a job in Topkapi Palace where he could feel important but, in reality, he'd be watched by my spies and he'd give us the opportunity to crackdown on any faction he's affiliated with, I will not let Spartak Pasha or anyone else challenge my authority, challenge Fatimah's position as Grand Vizier, or challenge my son as Sultan of The Ottoman Empire - the Albanian then turned to my lover and Grand Vizier, making me feel worse than I did when he appeared to begin with, he wasn't stupid enough to try anything, in fact, all he did was bow before her the exact same way he bowed before me - low and coming across as somewhat insincere "My Grand Vizier."

"I don't recall assigning you to any army in this campaign, Spartak." Fatimah replied, coldly - I didn't know what history these two had together, not yet anyway, but I know enough to say that Fatimah and Spartak Pasha definitely knew each other well enough given the bemused look and the fact that, even now, my Grand Vizier had little patience for the man who considered himself entitled to the position - that alone turned me off from the idea of naming him Grand Vizier, the position should be owned by merit rather than personal relations and Fatimah, thanks to her effectively running the province of Tunis on her father's behalf, was a lot more qualified to be Grand Vizier than any of the other candidates. I didn't know why these two had a rivalry, given that Spartak Pasha is a traditionalist, it could be as simple as him disapproving of the young woman who was basically the governor of Tunis, however, I got the feeling that it was more complex than that, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Spartak had pursued her romantically before and been shot down, nor would it surprise me if that lead to him becoming resentful towards her, if he couldn't have her, then he would destroy her, or perhaps Spartak figured out early on who his rivals to becoming Grand Vizier would be and he, correctly, picked out Fatimah as the biggest rival, hence, he became particularly vicious towards the Tunisian woman. I couldn't pinpoint the reason for this tension between them, but I realized as soon as I saw him that he wasn't supposed to have anything to do with this war, that was a viewpoint that was confirmed by Fatimah's cold remark towards the Albanian, now, I wanted to hear his explanation, I wanted to know how he assumed control of this army, and I wanted to know what he intended to do now that he was in command of the army of Yemen and we've been reunited in the outskirts of Muscat.

"You would be correct, my Grand Vizier, however, when I had heard of this war, a reconquest of the Islamic heartlands, I couldn't help but get involved, hence, I traveled to Hijaz and joined forces with this army, intent on accompanying them into Yemen. I had no intention of outright taking command, not at first anyway, however, after the commanders you assigned made some uncharacteristic blunders while we were besieging Aden and, by the end of The Siege of Aden it was clear that the soldiers themselves would revolt if there wasn't a change in leadership, therefore, I accepted the role of commander and I helped us capture the rest of Yemen before leading my army down here, leading my army down to Muscat." Spartak Pasha explained, it all seemed pretty simple, he saw an opportunity to take command of something and he took it, utterly defying any semblance of a chain of command at Aden and effectively naming himself general - I suppose given that Aden did fall and that the army was still following him here to Muscat, he wasn't the worst general, still, I didn't like the situation, I especially didn't like the situation because I didn't have a reason for removing Spartak Pasha from being a general, his army supported him and the men Fatimah assigned to run this army weren't in a position to argue against him, therefore, doing anything would only serve to provoke the traditionalist faction. I wasn't sure of Spartak Pasha's intentions, I wasn't sure if his faction fell apart or united behind him, I wasn't even sure if this was the right thing to do, however, Spartak Pasha played his cards well, he knew that my hands were tied, I had the power to remove him but I didn't have a reason to do it and, as the Greek female ruler of The Ottoman Empire, doing such things that could be considered tyrannical without a just cause is a good way of getting myself overthrown. Fatimah would try and hold onto power, she'd try and protect me, and I think that she'd do a better job than anyone else, but I still don't think that would be enough, I think that any attempt to overthrow me would end up consuming Fatimah as well, in fact, I could see us being thrown into the same dungeon cell as Spartak Pasha taunted us and assumed power as both Grand Vizier and regent. I can't say that I'd expect Spartak Pasha to last very long at all, in fact, it'll be a race between the Russians and his own people as to who kills him first. I do admit, that would be fun to watch if Spartak Pasha ever got the upper hand, however, I don't intend for it to ever get that far, I won't let him steal power away from me and I especially won't let him lock Fatimah and I in a cell while he gets The Ottoman Empire all to himself, I won't let him get into a position where he can influence my son.

"Well, I am willing to overlook this change of leadership provided you stick to the plan and follow orders here in Muscat and in Bahrain." I finally relented, it was safest to keep him close where I could keep him watched and under control, I couldn't risk provoking the traditionalists or any other powerful factions within The Ottoman Empire right now, not with a war against the Russians on the horizons - I may not know her personally, but I recognize that Tsarina Anastasia is a smart woman, everyone thought she was going to attack The Ottoman Empire right away, her enemies let their guard down and began their own plans for capitalizing on a weak Ottoman Empire, however, instead of recovering Moldavia and fighting a glorious war, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth found their eastern border lighting up with warfare as Russia got them completely off guard. If she did that to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, she would not hesitate to use internal conflicts to rip Crimea and that new Caucasian territory away from The Ottoman Empire.

"Very well, my Sultana-regent," Spartak Pasha gave an exaggerated bow once again and that settled that, two Ottoman armies marched together to the city of Muscat, a third Ottoman army was tearing Najd apart in the heart of Arabia, perhaps when we returned to Bahrain, not only would we have El Diablo and the Ottoman Navy supporting us, but we'd have three armies instead of two - I could already imagine the opportunists posing as Portuguese generals gulping in fear as they realized that, this time, their island fortress was doomed - I smiled, Bahrain would fall soon enough, but first, we would crush the Arabians and the Portuguese alike at Muscat, two Ottoman armies would be more than enough to capture the port city and deny the Portuguese their main trade port in southern Arabia. Ottoman cannons battered the walls of the city as our forty thousand men arrived to choke the life out of Muscat. Thus, we began, our cannons striking the walls of the city with thunderous and explosive fury - we unleashed a bombardment on Muscat unlike any other that the city has seen before, We fired so many cannonballs that I feared that the walls themselves might've long ago turned to dust behind the smoke of gunpowder and sand, I feared that we might just be firing blindly into the city, I feared that this might have been overkill, however, my artillery knew better, because, when the bombardment finally ceased, the walls of Muscat were still standing - there were cracks and I could tell that several sections of the wall would crumble soon, crumble like the three watch towers that once stood around the city, watchtowers that were reduced to piles of destroyed bricks and rubble.

Thus, The Siege of Muscat began, we knew that it would be a short siege, the walls simply weren't designed to withstand the kind of bombardment that we were able to dish out - my army had lost cannons at our first attempt at taking Bahrain, however, the army in Yemen had not, therefore, we had more than enough cannons for for a siege and we had a surplus of ammunition, therefore, we were content to bombard Muscat tomorrow just as we had today, we would do so every day until either the walls really did turn to dust or both the Portuguese and the Arabians in Muscat surrendered, only then was our work here finished, because I knew the situation in Muscat, the Arabians controlled the city but the Portuguese controlled the ports, if the Arabians surrendered, the Portuguese would just land more troops in Muscat and retake the whole city from within, if the Portuguese surrendered, that didn't really change anything because we still had to breach the Arabian walls in order to get to them. I wasn't sure if the Arabians would continue fighting at all if the Portuguese in Muscat surrendered, but I wasn't going to wait around long enough to find out, I saw the walls with my own eyes, they'd collapse tomorrow and, if not tomorrow, then the next day, this would be nothing more than a three day siege at most, however, once that was done, we had to take the ports as well, that meant urban fighting against the Portuguese. I grimaced at the thought, The Ottomans had a European style army and, obviously, the European Portuguese had a European style army too, that meant that our armies were used to fighting in wide, open spaces where guns and cannons would work well, where pike squares could move relatively freely...neither army was going to be very good at fighting in cities and I got the idea that organization would fall away almost immediately...it would turn into a bloodbath as soldiers fought each like lions, hitting and punching and kicking and stabbing because nothing else would work in the cramped environments. It wouldn't be pretty but if that's what the Portuguese wanted, well...The Ottoman Empire will do what we must in order to capture all of Muscat.

* * *

I found myself waking up in a different position than I usually do, Fatimah and I cuddled in our sleep, that was hardly unusual, we've done that virtually every night on this campaign, however, this time, I woke up in Fatimah's arms. I wondered how I ended up like this, I know that we didn't fall asleep this way, however, I didn't mind it. I felt nice in Fatimah's embrace, I felt warm, I felt safe. I tried to think back to my marriage, I tried to think if Suleiman III ever held me...I don't think that he did, I do remember the night that Suleiman and I conceived Abdullah Timur, I scooted as far away from him as possible, leaving a gap in our bed bigger than most beds in Konstantiniyye, I cried myself to sleep. I don't know if Suleiman III was asleep or if he just didn't care, I didn't have the heart to turn around and face him, but either way, he did nothing to make me feel better. I won't go so far as to say that it was non-consensual, I understood that I had to do, I knew what I was getting into when I submitted myself to being his wife, but I will say that I didn't like it, not a bit. I think I'm a lesbian, I might as well be anyway considering that I never want to have heterosexual sex again, I don't think that I could without bringing memories of what happened with my husband. I do want to with Fatimah though, being with her makes me feel better, being with Fatimah makes me feel whole in a way that I never felt with Suleiman III, being with Fatimah makes me feel happy, she's the perfect woman for me, she's a genius, she's a workaholic, she's willing to take the pressure off of me and make ruling The Ottoman Empire easy, pleasurable, and even fun, however, I don't know if I'm the perfect woman for her. I have baggage, she's never been touched by a man, meanwhile, Suleiman III had his way with me, I've even given birth...she's pure, untouched, golden, but I'm not, I've been picked, chewed up, and spit out. Fatimah's beautiful, smart, and confidant, she can win any woman in the world, she can win over someone better than me, maybe not someone of the same rank - though I'm sure that Fatimah could win over a European Queen if she wanted to - but someone better than me nonetheless.

"Good morning, my Sultana," Fatimah yawned and kissed my neck, she seemed so loving, so sweet, but why was she so loving and sweet to me? I gained far more from her than she did from me, I loved having her as Grand Vizier and I loved these moments with her, but I'd never be as good for her as she'd be for me, the perfect pair in theory, but it was a lot more perfect for me than her. I shook my head of these thoughts, being in this situation isn't good for me, I'll be happy if the two of us could focus on politics and war today, I didn't want to wallow in my insecurities anymore today.

"Shall we check on the siege, my Grand Vizier?" I asked and she smiled, nodding to me. I helped her up and we got dressed before leaving our tent, it turned out that we left the tent at the perfect time because our artillery was preparing for today's bombardment. I knew this would be just as big, if not bigger, as the bombardment from yesterday and, considering the wounds and cracks on the wall right now, the walls wouldn't be in a good shape at all after this bombardment, if they hadn't collapsed entirely. I took a deep breath and watched as the cannons began firing, I exhaled as gunpowder and sand once again blocked the view of the walls, I tried to listen in and hear if the walls fell or not, but all I could hear were the explosions, explosions from every side of Muscat, we had the city surrounded on three sides, the Indian Ocean was their only way out.

I smiled, actually, they had no way out, because when I glanced over to the sea south of Muscat, I saw the flag of The Ottoman Empire flying from the masts of ships wearing the familiar sails of our Mediterranean fleet. El Diablo arrived, the Ottoman Navy arrived. I watched with glee as the ships fired their cannons at the port of Muscat, crippling the Portuguese ships and showing the people of Muscat that there was no escape. I ordered my cannons to stop firing, surprisingly enough, when the smoke and sand cleared, the walls of Muscat were still standing, just barely, however, it didn't matter anyway. I saw the Portuguese surrender first, once again, the Portuguese saw that our navy had arrived and they realized there was no escape for them anymore, they were just as cowardly as the commanders I encountered on land when fighting Hormuz and Oman, anyway, seeing their overlords surrender, the Arabians surrendered too - they weren't going to fight when their commanders had surrendered. We had won The Siege of Muscat.

Fatimah and I prepared to enter the city, we would meet El Diablo at the port and, from there, the three of us would plan our approach for The Second Siege of Bahrain, this time, we would defeat the Portuguese, I was certain of it. I may be inadequate, but Fatimah is not inadequate, El Diablo is not inadequate, I'm the one who's scared of war, I'm the one who can't stomach enemy soldiers dying, I'm the one who's defective, I'm the problem, Fatimah would engineer the destruction of each and every enemy we had, El Diablo literally did the impossible by getting our army from the Mediterranean, around Africa, and up to the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, The Ottoman Empire had the ability to conquer the world, yet here I was, the insecure, violated little twenty-one year old woman in over her head with s son she didn't want and a lover she didn't deserve.

* * *

I love you all, peace out!


	14. Peak of The Ottoman Empire

Okie dokie everyone, here we are for chapter fourteen of The Legacy of The Romans! The week of writing this chapter I start my senior year of high school so if you're following this story as it's being written, I think that there will be a bit of a slow down in terms of updates - sorry about that, it is how it is, I gots to learn - anyway, lets get to the penultimate chapter of act one!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter XIV.

Peak of The Ottoman Empire.

* * *

"I am Admiral Yusuf ibn Muhammad of the Ottoman Navy, bane of the Spanish, to whom I am know as El Diablo, the Devil of the Mediterranean is at your service!" El Diablo introduced himself when his fleet docked at Muscat. His sailors began off-loading massive shipments of supplies to our armies - food, gunpowder, cannonballs, artillery pieces, and even fine garments for myself and Fatimah - I suppose that those are for the two of us to wear when we get to the negotiation table with the Portuguese and their allies, thus far on this campaign, we've been wearing basic dresses that we didn't mind being ruined by the sand and the travelling - fine court gowns aren't exactly suited for warfare after all, however, we can't exactly meet face to face with foreign diplomats in worn, faded, practically disposable dresses. Speaking of dress, El Diablo was sure to appear the best, his long, black beard was as groomed as he could manage it, he wore a large, white, Ottoman style turban over his head and a blue and white coat over his torso, below the coat he wore a green, black, and red uniform, he and his sailors were definitely a hardy and experienced bunch, but they cleaned up as best as they could - I could appreciate the effort, after all, I ordered the Ottoman Navy that's crushed Venetian, Genoese, and Spanish vessels time and time again, I didn't order any nobles who wished to play conquerors - though despite that, I still ended up with Spartak Pasha of all people worming his way into commanding my army in Yemen, an army that would now accompany my own for the decisive strike that would hopefully end this war. Two Ottoman armies, potentially a third, and the full might of the Ottoman Navy under the command of the infamous Devil of the Mediterranean would finally win us this war, with all of this, there's no way that we'll be defeated at The Second Siege of Bahrain.

"Hello admiral, thank you for coming al this way - I understand such a long voyage is unconventional for The Ottoman Empire, however, perhaps now, that our Empire is growing ever stronger, we can have a much larger naval presence here in the Indian Ocean." I greeted the admiral, he had sailed all the way from the Mediterranean and - after an extended rest on dry land out of my gratitude - soon enough they'll be sailing off again to help us with taking Bahrain, not long after that, the'll have to sail all the way back. I glanced over at Fatimah, at my loyal Grand Vizier who stood obediently at my right, I longed to show her affection, I wanted to show her how important she was to me, I wanted to enjoy our time together before she inevitably realizes how much better she is than me, she's the genius here, I'm the one holding her back - a canal cutting through Egypt, joining the Mediterranean with the Red Sea would be extremely expensive, however, such a canal would also allow us to control the Mediterranean and the coasts of Arabia much more effectively, it would pay itself off over time, especially because we could demand that the Europeans pay should they want access, given the fact that the English, French, and Portuguese seemingly couldn't resist the riches of India and The East Indies - I'm well aware that some of my predecessors would love to use European money against the Europeans, but between this war in Arabia and the vast Russian invasion looming on the horizon, my appetite for war has been more than quenched.

Canals have been built in the region before but they've all failed, either due to a lack of maintenance causing them to get flooded with sand or because they were destroyed in war, the most recent attempt at building one came from the Venetians when they forged an alliance with The Mamluks in an attempt to contain The Ottoman Empire, however, that plan and that alliance fell through long before any actual work could be done. I don't know if our canal could be much better, but Fatimah believes in the idea and I believe in her - how could I not believe in her? She's perfect, she's smart, she's beautiful, she has an unbelievable work ethic, and she has the ability to make running The Ottoman Empire fun for me. I never thought I'd feel like being in Konstantiniyye would ever be fun after I effectively allowed myself to be kidnapped and married for my family''s sake, however, two assassinations later, I'm the Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire and I have the wonderful Fatimah bint Abdul as my Grand Vizier, we can rule The Ottoman Empire together. I've offered her everything I can, there's nothing else I can give her while she can give the world to me, that's not fair for her, and that's why I fear that, one day, she'll realize that and, once again, I'll be left alone and ruling The Ottomans won't be fun anymore, life won't be fun anymore.

The fun will be gone one day, but right now, I have to look at the present - not that the present is bad, the present is still fun, the present is perfect, the only problem is that I fear that this perfection will all go away and leave me feeling even worse than I did before - I have an Admiral that just sailed around a continent for me and now, I had to give him and his men the chance to rest before setting them upon the Portuguese Navy and upon their island stronghold of Bahrain. The Second Siege of Bahrain would be a success, between myself, Fatimah, and El Diablo, nothing would stop us, we had the navy, we had the armies, and we had the leadership, these Portuguese nobles masquerading as generals while the proper Iberian generals are preoccupied in Morocco and in their colonies in Brazil would not stop us, Spartak Pasha who has seemingly switched tactics would not stop us, and given the fact that we sailed a fleet all the way around Africa in record time to bring the fight back to Bahrain, even nature itself would not stop us. the Admiral of the Ottoman Navy, the Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire, and the Sultana-Regent of The Ottoman Empire, together, we could defeat the world.

I gave El Diablo and his men permission to rest and instructions for him to meet us once he and his sailors were ready, with that, Fatimah and I focused and cleaning up the situation in Muscat - the last pockets of resistance were snuffed out and the city was occupied by an impromptu Ottoman garrison who worked to rebuild the fortifications to protect themselves - in case of a Portuguese counterattack - for long enough for at least a token relief force down from our siege efforts. I doubted that would be necessary, the Portuguese saw us fail at Bahrain before and they've no doubt grown arrogant and complacent, however, we will repay that arrogance and that complacency with brutality and conquest - we would not be defeated again.

* * *

The Portuguese guns blasted the sand cliffs that we used as battery positions previously into piles of dust - our cannons weren't placed there yet, our cannons weren't placed anywhere yet, the bombardment was not for the Portuguese to destroy our artillery, it was a demonstration that, larger army or not, the Portuguese cannons were ready to respond and if their response was going to remind us of our defeat at The First Siege of Bahrain, then that would only fuel the Portuguese nobility's desire for a theatrical show of force, unfortunately for the Portuguese, The Ottoman Empire was here for an even greater show of force. We surrounded the city with our infantry and cavalry, our numbers so great that troops, rather than cannons, filled the two mounds left over from the two small sand cliffs that our cannons were placed on last time to batter the fortress, this time, however, our cannons were safely at a distance, built on elevated wooden platforms so that our cannons would still be able to target the island fortress but low enough that they didn't present themselves as too obvious of a target.

Thus, The Second Siege of Bahrain began with the Portuguese thinking that our response to our first failure was just arriving with more troops after severing their support lines from their trade concession at Muscat - I mean, that did help, if the Portuguese wanted to relieve Bahrain, they'd have to sail troops in from the African coast or from Ceylon off of the coast of India, neither of which would do them any good considering the trick we had up our sleeves - sure enough, the Ottoman Navy under the command of Admiral Yusuf ibn Muhammad, the Devil of the Mediterranean, poured into the Gulf of Bahrain, battering the Portuguese ships with their mighty broadside cannons. Naval combat is typically not to the death, ships are too expensive and too important for that, therefore, when it became clear that the Portuguese Navy was outnumbered, outmatched, and outgunned here at The Second Siege of Bahrain, the ships quickly sailed out out of the Gulf of Bahrain and the Persian Gulf in general, all while our ships harassed them with cannon fire - most likely, these ships were fleeing for either Africa or Ceylon, they've lost and the Portuguese Navy was now playing damage control. I couldn't blame the Portuguese Navy, they've lost Muscat and they were about to lose Bahrain,, but they still had interests all around the Indian Ocean and into The East Indies, keeping ships in these waters was crucial to their Empire even if they lost a few cities and some large vassals in Arabia, that was no reason for them to lose valuable ships as well, especially since these ships were built to Portugal's high standards in their own shipyards, meaning that, those ships, much like our Mediterranean fleet, would have to sail all the way around Africa if the Portuguese needed to send replacements to Arabia. The pragmatic choice may have saved their ships, but it damned Bahrain, because now, the Devil of the Mediterranean became the Scourge of the Persian Gulf because his ships blockaded and bombarded Bahrain alongside our cannons on shore and our eager soldiers who were just waiting for the chance to leap into an assault, however, that proved to not be necessary as a small vessel carrying a white flag sailed out of Bahrain - I gave the order not to fire on the vessel, I'm assuming that this is the Portuguese surrendering, I'm sure that they will have terms, but I didn't mind, if I disagreed with their terms, we could simply bombard Bahrain once again as our one and only response to an offensive offer.

"My Sultana-regent, my Grand Vizier!" a translator approached the two of us after speaking with the Portuguese delegation, he bowed before us and waited for permission to speak, I gave him a nod - I was wearing a dusty brown dress and boots, my hair was tied in a loose bun, and I didn't bother wearing any form of jewelry, I was on a battlefield, this was no time for formalities or keeping up appearances, that would come during actual negotiations - the nod seemed to be enough given the circumstances and the messenger began "The Portuguese surrender and wish to sail to Portuguese ports, they say that a delegation is already sailing from Lisbon to negotiate with you."

"With all due respect, my regent, we cannot allow them to sail away, they'll just come back with a Portuguese relief force, keep them here as hostages!" Spartak Pasha interjected, rudely - I also noticed the fact he simply addressed me as regent rather than as Sultana or at least Sultana-regent, the weak little parasite was disrespectful to women to say the least, I imagine that a lot of these Ottoman military men and nobles are, however, the rest of them are smart enough to hide it and show me respect, in fact, I suspect some of that respect may be genuine at this stage given that the men have seen Fatimah and I accompany them all the way through this war, something that even many male Ottoman Sultans failed to do and I've ran this war about as well as anyone could expect, the only blunder really was at The First Siege of Bahrain and I think that I've more than made up for it, not that it mattered to someone like Spartak Pasha. I know that, no matter what I do, the traditionalists will always oppose men, the Turkish Islamic aristocracy of The Ottoman Empire were not receptive to the idea of an Orthodox born Greek reigning in Konstantiniyye once again, especially not when their forefathers fought in the armies of Mehmed II during The Fall of Constantinople in 1453, however, given that the opposition seems to be lead by the weak and ineffectual Albanian Spartak Pasha, perhaps the traditionalists would be more preoccupied with infighting than actually doing anything that would interfere with my position as Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire.

Spartak Pasha may have been in control or he may have already been abandoned by the traditionalists all together, I didn't know, that's what I hated about all this, I didn't exactly like my husband, let alone love him, however, I didn't want him to be killed by the Levantine assassins and I didn't want to have Ibrahim Pasha killed in order to secure my position as regent, however, the traditionalists were definitely responsible for the latter and I strongly suspect that they had something to do with the former, but again, I didn't know, that's the problem. I am the Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire and whether my enemies like it or not I will make damn well sure that I remain regent until my son is old enough to rule and perhaps even longer, perhaps I'll co-rule with my son until I deem him ready to rule on his own, perhaps I'll co-rule with him until I die, I mean, if I could have Fatimah alongside me, I'd have no problem with ruling The Ottoman Empire for the rest of my life. I didn't expect Fatimah to be alongside me for all that time and, the truth is, I didn't feel like I deserved someone like her, however, I couldn't do anything else for her, I've made her Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire, she's already got everything I could give her, she has no reason to stay with me, I'm just a damaged, little girl in over her head with a son I didn't want but now have to cling to and one or two powerful factions within my own Empire trying to kill me, the likely leader of one of those factions is standing right here, right next to me, openly disagreeing with me and overstepping his boundaries. I can't seriously call myself Sultana if I allow this but if I provoke Spartak Pasha and he's as powerful as I fear he may be, this will only end in death - Fatimah doesn't deserve losing a lover like that and she especially doesn't deserve to be targeted by Spartak Pasha or anyone else - I don't want to have Spartak killed just like his mentor either, because that'll just result in someone else filling his place just like he filled Ibrahim Pasha's place. It seemed like no matter what I was screwed, it seemed like no matter what, there was no way to win, however, Spartak Pasha changed his tactics, he now approached me, as if he needed to worm his way into my favor for his next scheme, so perhaps, if I did shoot him down now, it would actually pacify him and force him to act useful in order to get into a position where he intends to betray me, he probably thought all of this scheming was well hidden, he probably thought of himself as a mastermind, in reality, he's just a weasel desperate to be a lion.

"I can and I will allow them to sail away, Spartak, I am the Sultana of The Ottoman Empire and you shall pay me respect or I shall reduce you to nothing but a pathetic peasant working the land of men you wouldn't give the privilege to kiss your feet right now, remember that, I am the one who gives and I am the one who takes, should I want to take, I can take everything from you - and your allies, remember that, Spartak, remember because, one day, it may just save your wretched little life." He's nothing, he's a weasel, his supporters are nothing, the traditionalists are nothing, the Levantine assassins are nothing - they only managed to kill my husband because he too was nothing, my husband didn't add land to The Ottoman Empire, he added Crimea and the Caucasian territory, all he did was choose the battleground against Russia, meanwhile, with Fatimah's help, I've opened up the Indian Ocean for our great civilization, the Indian ocean, the one place where we'd be doing something no previous Roman Empire has ever done before. Neither The Tsardom of Russia nor The Holy Roman Empire have any presence in the Indian Ocean, but we will, for people from Madagascar to the East Indies, I shall be the daughter of Rome, I shall be the Empress of the Third Rome, I shall be Sultana of The Ottoman Empire! How could I possibly worry about Spartak Pasha? He's impatient, ineffectual, and clumsy, he couldn't be at the head of a grand conspiracy to hurt me, the only person in the entire Ottoman Empire who could legitimately threaten me is Fatimah and she's at my side...for now anyway, she'll be here as long as it suits her, then one day, one day she'll realize her massive potential can take her farther than I ever could and she'll leave me and The Ottoman Empire alone to strike it off on her own. I'm sure that whatever Fatimah will do with her life after me will be legendary, magnificent, wonderful, but to me, it'll just be heartbreaking. I'm not good enough for Fatimah, I'm not good enough for her because I spend time worrying about men like Spartak Pasha when I should be spending every waking moment showing her how important she is to me, my only hope for keeping us together is that she loves me but first, I need to make it clear as day that I love her more than she could possibly imagine, she means more to me than Arabia, than The Ottoman Empire, than the entire world.

I came off harsher than I intended and I may have gambled on my life, but if I did, my gamble paid off because Spartak scurried away like the little rodent he is, he's not a threat, I don't know what Ibrahim Pasha ever saw in him and I think that most of the traditionalists share those doubts, he's nothing and he'll always be nothing, meanwhile, I allowed the Portuguese nobles and their men to sail away - however, not before giving them instructions, Fatimah and I won this war so Fatimah and I would negotiate the peace on our terms, the Portuguese delegation sailing to Arabia might as well turn around right now because I felt that there was no better to reward Fatimah's triumph than giving her Arabia on a silver platter in her home. The Ottoman conquest of Arabia will come to an end with The Treaty of Tunis, because my great Tunisian Grand Vizier, my Carthaginian, put me up to this and, without her, none of this would be possible, therefore, she would get to make her dreams reality from the comfort of her own childhood home.

A somewhat more deviant part of me also realized that, once The Treaty of Tunis was signed, the two of us would be alone in her childhood home where we could finally celebrate together in the most intimate way possible, including me taking the last sliver of childhood innocence from the lovely Grand Vizier who deserved far better than whatever I was able to give her.

* * *

"Father," Fatimah gingerly greeted the elderly former general as we entered his home - his staff graciously let us in - Abdul ibn Omar was quite the sight, the man, even now, wore a gloriously large white turban and wore a long but neat graying beard, he wore a coat in a brilliant Phoenician purple - maybe he too thought of Fatimah as his Carthaginian - and was generally impeccably dressed, but, try as they might, his servants cannot make his mangled hands and scarred yet barely working eyes any easier to look at. I'm sure that he has other injuries hidden my his clothes, perhaps he had a difficult time walking, his hearing has clearly been diminished as well, beyond that, it's difficult to tell given that he was sat in a chair in a half-asleep, zoned out state. His daughter's unexpected return, however, lit the fires within him and brought him back to the land of the living - I'm impressed, but hardly surprised, that Fatimah can have that kind of effect on her on family - her father sat up straight and focused his poor eyes as best as he could on the amazing specimen before him, his daughter, the one that was expected to stay quiet and obedient, had done more than any of his numerous sons could ever dream of, she became Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire and now, for the first time, the old stalwart of the Ottoman Army finally got to see his little ray of sunshine in all her newfound glory.

"Fatimah! My Fatimah!" He exclaimed, I smiled in the corner of the room, General Abdul either didn't notice me or didn't realize that I was more than just a handmaiden or some other kind of servant, however, in this case, I didn't mind, Fatimah got the chance to see her father again, that's something I'll probably never get to experience as much as I'd want to, after all, the only reason that I'm where I am today is that I sacrificed myself to a life as the Sultan's wife in order to give my father and the rest of our family the chance to escape to Genoa where they'll be rich, protected, and safe, meanwhile, I was going to be miserable, the glorified outlet of a man I barely knew, let alone liked, let alone loved, however, right now, as I quietly observe Fatimah reuniting with her father, I'm happy for them, I'm happy for us. Fatimah knew what she was getting herself into when she applied for the position to become Grand Vizier, however, doing so has left her busy in Konstantiniyye and now Arabia while her father has been sitting here in Tunis as destitute today as he was yesterday, the day before, and as he will be tomorrow - it's a shame that such a great general was reduced to such a pitiful state, but that's the reality of war, sometimes, even the best generals come out of war with mangled hands and permanently damaged vision, still, knowing that is one thing, seeing it is another.

"I'm here father, I came to visit, I wanted you to see how your little girl grew up to be Grand Vizier and how she helped conquer Arabia." Fatimah sat down on the leg of the chair and began telling her father what she's been up to, I made my way over to the couch and sat down - the guards, both mine and Abdul's own protectors, were spread throughout the compound - injuries or not, Fatimah's father still lived on an estate befitting a once great Ottoman general and provincial governor, in any case, I sat comfortably and patiently waited for Abdul to notice me - I was now dressed in the green, gold, and red dress that El Diablo and his ships delivered, we may not have negotiated with the Portuguese in Arabia, but we went straight to Tunis without stopping in Konstantiniyye. I wanted to negotiate with the Portuguese on my terms but I didn't want to drag this process out unnecessarily, I needed to get these experienced troops out of Arabia, give them their leave, and have them ready to be called back into action against Russia when our titanic northern neighbor finally declares war on us. It was a strange feeling, I was born in a minuscule Byzantine remnant state that dreaded the day that The Ottoman Empire would rob us of our independence, now, I was going to fight to keep The Ottomans in control of Crimea, in control of what was once The Principality of Theodoro, I was destined to become an Orthodox Princess yet here I am fighting the strongest Orthodox power in the world - now The Tsardom of Russia follows its own twist of the Orthodox faith under the leadership of The Patriarch of Moscow, however, for many Orthodox Europeans, they'd rather have that than be ruled by an Islamic power, regardless of whether or not The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople recognized The Ottoman Empire as the successor state to The Byzantine Empire. The Catholics and the Protestants in The Holy Roman Empire were tearing Germany, Bohemia, and much of the rest of Europe apart, fortunately, the Eastern Church isn't quite that far, however, that is not to say that Eastern Orthodoxy does not suffer serious divides, especially as the dream of a unified faith under one Patriarch seems to have died with the Byzantines, instead, the Russian model of autocephalous state churches seems to be spreading, now, Russia and Georgia both have their own state churches, I suspect that the numerous Balkan peoples would adopt that model as well if they would ever wiggle their way out of Ottoman rule, in fact, even though I'm an Orthodox Greek on the throne of The Ottoman Empire, I don't think there's anything to do, people who don't like The Ottoman Empire will need more to like it than just the approval of The Ecumenical Patriarchate, that is one of the reasons why Fatimah and I are working so hard to shake up the Turkish dominance of the Empire in order to create a truly multicultural state of Turks, Arabs, Greeks, Slavs, and others, all of which answer to the same Sultan regardless of their creed, color, or personal beliefs.

Abdul trained his eyes on me when I sat down, at first, he seemingly thought that I was a servant who had the audacity to sit down without asking permission, however, as the shattered remains of his eyes finally focused on me, he realized that I was no servant - we've met before, I'm sure of it, however, the fact is, the father of my lover is a lot more important to me than one of my now dead husband's generals ever were, only now do I actually want to get to know him and to give the general a good impression, so, I worked hard to give said good impression.

"General Abdul ibn Omar, thank you for allowing us into your home, you and your staff have been most hospitable. I am Helena of Gothia, Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire. I am returning from a devastating and decisive campaign in Arabia and now, it's time to negotiate a treaty, given that the whole plan and the whole war was Fatimah's doing, I could think of no better way of repaying her than seeing her plans turn into reality in the very place where she spent her childhood, the fruits of her labor directly in the garden that spawned her, therefore, when a Portuguese delegation arrives to negotiate The Treaty of Tunis, I would be eternally great if we could host such a delegation on your estate." I explained, going through the formalities before asking permission, yet being sure to show the general a certain amount of reverence, after all, his accomplishments include countless military victorious, a long and prosperous governorship over Tunis, and, perhaps most impressively, he helped bring Fatimah into this world and he helped raise her, that's more than enough to earn my respect.

"Of course, my Sultana, you may use these grounds to negotiate, after all, it fills me with pride to see what you and my daughter have managed to accomplish." the general managed a beaming smile, I believed what he said, he had every right to be proud of his little girl for what she accomplished in Arabia, it was her idea, it was her plan, and she organized every facet of the war - granted, there were a few hiccups, we had to call in El Diablo and the navy for aid and somehow Spartak Pasha got involved in running the war effort, however, there are hiccups in every war, as both the Protestants and the Catholics battling within The Holy Roman Empire can attest to. The Ottoman Empire is not currently involved in said war, however, we may get involved going forward, not directly, mind you, once this and the Russian question were dealt with, I would avoid war if I could help it, however, through aid and indirect aid, I could ensure that the biggest threats to The Ottoman Empire are weakened, exhausted, and unable to stop me from peacefully spreading Ottoman influence into their lands, now, at the moment, those enemies were The Holy Roman Empire and The Kingdom of Spain, both of which support the Catholic cause in Germany, however, for now, I need all the resources I can get to contain Russia and prepare for the war against our enemy Tsardom.

I wouldn't normally expect the Orthodox Tsardom to get involved in a struggle between Catholics and their dissenters, however, now that The Tsardom of Russia has annexed Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia, taking the rest of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth on as a glorified vassal, and with designs on expansion every which way, I would hardly be surprised if Russia saw the opportunity to get involved in European politics and then, they could take advantage of the struggle to serve their own interests, whether that's to weaken the Habsburgs, gain a foothold within The Holy Roman Empire, or something else entirely, I can't say, but I can very much see the Russians getting involved in this war even if they didn't care for the reasons behind it. Should Russia get involved, I would be very tempted to support whoever they're fighting, because, should we lose Crimea and the Caucasian territory, the great Russian bear will only develop a taste for Ottoman land, but, if I play my cards right, I can ensure that the bear is entrapped in the forest fire that is the war between Protestants and Catholics, a war which has already bled well beyond The Holy Roman Empire itself with the Protestant Kings of Denmark and Sweden opposing the Catholics with mighty war chests supplied by the French who would love to see their German and Spanish enemies engulfed in the flames of holy warfare. I suppose I shouldn't wish for Russian soldiers to die in Germany when there's already so much bloodshed all over that feudal abomination of a state, but I can't help but want those warmongering Russian dogs to see what exactly is the outcome of warmongering, maybe then Tsarina Anastasia will learn the same lesson I learned watching the Portuguese nobles sending their Arabian subjects to their deaths.

* * *

Fatimah and I sat in our elegant dresses wearing all sorts of crowns and jewelry to distinguish us as the most powerful, richest, most glamorous, most beautiful women that The Ottoman Empire had to offer - I didn't think of myself as notably attractive, however, I couldn't deny that the servants I borrowed from Fatimah made me look as close to flawless as I possibly could - Fatimah meanwhile, she _was _flawless, her smooth skin shining brightly, beauty radiating off of the perfect caramel brown skin shamefully hidden away from the world by this dress. I'm sure that the Portuguese delegation knew that The Ottoman Empire was now being run by two young women, but I doubted they realized that we looked as good at this, maybe then they wouldn't be so mad about having to sail back around Africa after all. I admit that it was completely unnecessary making the Portuguese sail all the way back to the Mediterranean, however, I wanted to reward Fatimah by letting her moment of triumph occur in a place that was unlike any other in the whole world - home - and Fatimah mattered to me far more that The Kingdom of Portugal or anyone from there could even hope of coming close to, let alone matching.

Perhaps I misspoke, because when the doors to the negotiation room opened and the Portuguese entered, I was not surprised by the plethora of guards, I was not surprised by Portuguese banners they had with them, but I was surprised that, rather than a delegation of noblemen like I was lead to expect, I sat across from one single young woman dressed in an elaborate dress in two different shades of pink - most of the dress was a lighter pink, however, a dark pink made up the many accents that made the dress stand out. The woman herself appeared to be far from the stereotypical Portuguese woman, she had rather pale skin, she had medium brown hair, and she had striking gray eyes that darted between my brown eyes and Fatimah's - she was clearly sizing us both up, but she was also looking for more, she was trying to figure our our dynamic and, rather surprisingly, she smirked as if she figured everything out, as if she knew the full extent of my relationship with Fatimah from a few glances - first of all, my feelings aren't that obvious, I can keep a secret, especially when that secret affects my position as Sultana of The Ottoman Empire and, second of all, my love for Fatimah couldn't be expressed with a thousand glances across a thousand days and a thousand nights.

"Sultana Helena, Grand Vizier Fatimah, I presume?" the Portuguese noblewoman correctly identified us both - granted I'm sure the crowns on my head helped, but something tells me that she did her research and she would've been able to identify the both of us regardless of what we wore, she knew what she was doing, that much was clear, but that left a lot of questions - first of all, who is she? second of all, how come I was told there was a delegation coming to meet us when it's just her? third of all, why did the King of Portugal entrust her with The Treaty of Tunis? I could have demanded more respect, perhaps I should have considering that I won this war and we were in a dominant position, truth be told, I was caught off guard that I was negotiating with a single woman, a single woman that looked somewhat more Eastern European than Portuguese - now I know that the Portuguese, like every group in Europe, are a diverse lot, but considering how much of the Balkans and Hungary I rule over directly, as well as the Romanian vassals - Wallachia and Moldavia are firmly under my control and, despite not wanting to fight more war, I still wanted to bring those two under direct Ottoman control, especially given that, once the frontier is brought in, our nominal vassals in Transylvania, the remnants of the Hungarian crown yet populated mainly by Romanians, could become an undisputed vassal of The Ottoman Empire. It was entirely possible to expand The Ottoman Empire without war and, despite my distaste for war and the fact that I doubt I'll win, I'm prepared to fight The Tsardom of Russia hard in order to keep control of Crimea and the Caucasian territory.

"Correct, I was expecting a delegation, instead, I have you, who are you and why are you here?" I finally mustered some semblance of control just before Fatimah was about to jump in, I patted her on the leg as a thank you, I'm sure she would've saved me if I hadn't retaken control of the situation, I'm sure Fatimah is caught off guard too, but she's not letting it show. I think I managed to say the right thing, I got straight down to business and showed her that I won this war and I knew the situation, I was in no mood for Portuguese games right now.

"With all due respect, Sultana Helena, the delegation just sailed all the way around Africa and back, they were in no mood to meet with you, so, considering that you scorned our best diplomats, men who were ready to negotiate with you then and there in Arabia, King Afonso VII sent me instead. The Portuguese call me Teresa Hungara, my father was the Portuguese ambassador to Transylvania, now, I'm attempting to fill his place, that either begins or ends here." Teresa explained, so she was at least half Hungarian, that explained her more Eastern European appearance, I'm assuming her name is actually Terezia and that she's from a lesser noble house, however, I don't know which one, though I suspect that her family has vast estates in Transylvania and, much like all the other Hungarian noble houses reigning over Transylvania, they're just waiting for the chance to double or even triple their territories with historically Hungarian land taken from both the Habsburgs and my Ottoman Empire, I will not allow that. I don't want to start any more wars after Arabia, but I'll defend the Empire from the Russians and I'll defend the Empire from anyone else who wants to harm my mighty, proud country.

"Very well then, it's clear what I want, I want all of Arabia, including Muscat and including Bahrain." I made my position clear, there was nothing more to say, I thought for that land, my forces defeated Yemen, Najd, Oman, and all the others, along with one of the many colonial arms of The Kingdom of Portugal, therefore, I want the fruits of my labor.

"Take the Arabian states, that's fine, however, allow us to control Bahrain and Muscat, we know the trade network in the Indian Ocean and we're even willing to offer you 50% of the trade that comes through those two Arabian ports." Terezia replied, suavely, much like the Portuguese nobles, she was more than willing to sacrifice her Arabian allies but she was not willing to sacrifice the Portuguese possessions, I didn't know if she and the nobles were alike or if this was just King Afonso VII's position when it comes to overseas subjects compared to proper colonies, all I know is that I didn't like it.

"50% is less than 100%, I'm sure you know that, also, I'm sure that you know, Portuguese or no, trade going to Muscat and Bahrain will barely change, especially given we intend to expand our influence in the Indian Ocean." Fatimah replied, coldly, she was not going to bend on this and I was proud of her, the two of us were being equally strong today, neither of us were going to let this Transylvanian-Portuguese noblewoman beat us, neither of us were going to get caught off guard again at this negotiation table.

"I will not sign a treaty that robs us of Arabia, you'll get an armistice, but for a treaty with The Kingdom of Portugal...well, we'll see what you have to say after the Russian conflict." Terezia smirked ominously, Fatimah and I signed the armistice, we had what we wanted and there was no reason to drag out the fighting, but what she said made me fear this - if Russia defeated The Ottoman Empire, would the other European powers jump on us too? Would the Portuguese fight to regain their Arabian possessions? Would Transylvania and the Habsburgs fight for Hungary? Would the Venetians and Genoese attempt to regain the Greek colonies they had after The Fourth Crusade?


	15. The Tsarina of Russia

Here we go, the end of act one!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act I.

The Empresses of The Third Rome.

Chapter XV.

The Tsarina of Russia.

* * *

"Good morning," Yelizaveta greeted as she woke up in my arms, smile plastered in her face, a face that was covered in streaks of sunlight - I forgot to close the blinds last night, between how much I wanted these feelings to go away and how much I'd like to just have a relatively normal relationship with Lady Krystyna, my mind was elsewhere - but as I instinctively reached out and tucked a few loose stands of blonde hair behind her ear and saw those well rested blue eyes looking up at me through her eyelashes, this felt normal, this felt right, but I know this was so, so very wrong. I shut my eyes for a moment and thought of Lady Krystyna, I thought of how much I'd like it to be her I was wrapped up in this morning, I thought about her mismatched green and hazel eyes looking up at me through her eyelashes, so different yet so perfectly suiting her face, and, though I hated to admit it, I thought about how similar Krystyna and Yelizaveta were. They were both sixteen years old yet wise beyond their years, they would both be incredibly useful to me, and I was so hopelessly in love with both of them...they even looked alike, I'm sure that across the numerous Polish, Bohemian, and Hungarian noble houses she's descended from, there's some Rurikovich blood in her, but I think that they just happened to look alike and, though it hurt to admit it, perhaps that's part of what drew me towards Lady Krystyna.

"Good morning," I replied as I opened my eyes, I was smiling, I don't know when I started smiling, but thinking about Lady Krystyna made me happy and, for a deviant part of me that shouldn't exist, comparing Yelizaveta and Krystyna made me very happy, the part of me that is very aware that I'm a sexually aware - albeit only recently aware - teenager would very much like to entertain fantasies involving myself and both Lady Krystyna and Yelizaveta, telling myself pretty little lies that it wouldn't be incestuous if Krystyna was involved, but I knew it was nonsense and I certainly wasn't going to have a threesome with my own flesh and blood. Yelizaveta and I startled untangling ourselves from each other in a process that was growing unnervingly familiar, no sister should be so used to the sensation of her sister's thigh rubbing against her own, no sister should purposefully lean into the movement, no sister should crave it again when it's gone, but I did, but Yelizaveta did, but the both of us felt these damned feelings that have done nothing but derail our lives. I'm the ruler of the largest state in Europe, I have tamed The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and intend to to place my lover on their throne, and I will soon turn the tide in European history, defeating The Ottomans and halting their three century advance into Europe, my sister is the heiress to all that, she is the one who will help me every step of the way, and she is the one who will have the opportunity to take everything I've built as Tsarina of Russia and make it even greater, we would be the most powerful women in history, but didn't that mean that we deserved happiness? Shouldn't we fall in love with people that we could actually love? Sure I had Lady Krystyna as an option, but who did Yelizaveta have? She was alone, she was hurting, and she needed her big sister through all this, feelings or no feelings.

"Is today gonna be a busy day?" Yelizaveta asked as she sat up and stretched on the bed - I couldn't help but watch as she arched her back and stuck her arms out, watching as her untouched breasts were perfectly accentuated by the motion, and my mind began to travel to dark places, I shook these thoughts from my head and considered her question, it was time for me to get to work. I wanted to begin construction of my new palace and the surrounding square of Moscow, I wanted to start settling and expanding southern Russia as well as Siberia, and I wanted to centralize royal authority in a way never seen before in Russia, Russia will become an absolutist state with the nobility reduced to figureheads while actual power is given to bureaucrats in a meritocracy - now should nobles prove themselves worthy, I'm more than happy to give them all the power they deserve - additionally, I want to check in on my mother, I want to enjoy some time with Krystyna, and I want to figure out how I'm gonna help Yelizaveta find a healthy relationship. I could push some of these things back onto different days, but I felt like today was doing to be a busy day regardless, after all, I had an even larger state to rule over now after my war against the Poles and the Lithuanians.

"I think so Liz, I think so." I answered as I stretched myself just like she did - I tried to ignore it but I noticed that Yelizaveta looked at me just like I looked at her - before getting up and heading to my dressing room. I would definitely have my servants draw me a bath later, I made sure to wash myself as best as I could while off on the campaign through Poland, particularly before negotiating the treaty, but nothing compares to properly bathing, but there was no time now, so after cleaning myself up from last night I donned a gold, and black dress with red and white accents - the colors of The Tsardom of Russia - and a small golden tiara that could substitute for a dress crown. I placed my nightgown in a bin reserved for my laundry - it was empty given that I had just returned from the war, though it'll be in use once again now. I left the dressing room and let Liz enter in - she would no doubt put on one of my dresses, not that I would mind - before leaving my room altogether, as I told Liz, I was going to have a busy day.

I entered the dining hall intent on eating a quick breakfast before seeing my mother and preparing a carriage to take me to Moscow for the afternoon, however, plans had a funny way of becoming irrelevant and my plans did become irrelevant when I saw Krystyna sitting at the table eating her own breakfast, I smiled, after having to say no to her last night, I was more than eager to see her again. Being with Yelizaveta tears me apart because my body wants one thing and my mind wants another, my body would love nothing more than to straddle my little sister and let my hands explore anything and everything, however, my mind knew that, if we did that, we could never go back to being regular sisters, I didn't want that, I didn't want to twist the happy, innocent childhood memories into the first unknowing steps to a sinful and incestuous relationship. I can be happy with Krystyna, with Krystyna, my mind and body are united, both want her and both can have her, sure, in some ways, I'm using her as a substitute for Yelizaveta, but I already feel things for her after only a few days, meanwhile, I've known Liz for sixteen years, no one will ever be able to usurp that bond, however, maybe the lesser bond I have with Krystyna will be enough.

"Anastasia," Krystyna greeted with a smile, she glanced both ways, making sure the coast was clear before saying her next piece "I'm not going to lie, I missed you last night, I got a little too worked up with you over me and I didn't even consider if you were ready or not, I don't even know if I'm ready either, but I felt really good last night and, whenever you'll be ready, I'll be ready."

"Thank you Krystyna, I appreciate it, but it's not your fault, I was the one who climbed onto you, I was the one feeling you up, I was in control and I pushed both of us too far. I want this, I want you, I know that, but there's a lot going on in my life right now and I've only recently learned about my own sexuality. I wish I could tell you the whole situation, I wish I could tell you why I'm not able to go all the way with you right now, but I made a promise to someone very important to me that I wanted tell and I'm not going to betray that promise." I replied to Krystyna, the situation was complicated but it was in no way her fault, in fact, she was the solution to the problem - my half of the problem anyway - and once I solved the other half of the problem, we could finally be together, but until Yelizaveta and I both found love, there was nothing more I could do. I didn't like that I had to keep secrets from her but I wasn't going to betray Yelizaveta, not even to someone like Krystyna who I knew that I could trust - she is the one who will decide how much Krystyna knows and when she knows it, that is the only way that I can be fair to my little sister, no lover will make me betray my little sister's trust, conversely, I wouldn't betray Krystyna's trust for Yelizaveta either, I wanted to trust and love them both, Liz as my sister and Krystyna as my lover, however, my own feelings insist on muddying the waters and making this more difficult than it has to be.

"It's fine Anastasia, I'm not asking you to betray anyone or any promises, I just want you to know that I want you, but I want the right you and you deserve the right me, so we do this when we're ready, the both of us, not a second earlier...or a second later for that matter." Krystyna laughed on the second bit, she was willing to wait for me, or at least her mind was, but her body craved me, my body craved her, but my mind insisted that I wait until all the puzzle pieces are in place, sometimes I wish that I could be a worse person, sometimes I wish that I could ravish Krystyna here and now and never look back, but I knew that, in some strange way, despite what my many, many, many enemies will say, I'm not bad enough to listen to Krystyna moaning my name while Liz tosses and turns alone in bed while her urges threaten to consume her - I needed to remember that I had a release but she didn't, not yet.

"I want to be with you too," I said as an idea popped into my head, an idea of how I could prove to the Polish noblewoman that I was serious about her, all without betraying my promise to Yelizaveta "Which is why I want you to come with me when I go and see my mother, she's been mourning since my father's death and I think it's about time that she comes out of that and returns to the land of the living, when she does, I want to present the stronger, more modern, and more powerful Tsardom of Russia to her and you, Lady Krystyna, are a central figure in my future plans." I told the Polish noblewoman that I wanted her to accompany me when I see my mother. I want to introduce them to each other, my planned successor for the Polish crown and my soon-to be lover - I wouldn't be blatant about it to my mother, however, I'd tell her enough about Krystyna that my mother, knowing me as well as she does, will be able to piece together the situation, I'm not sure how exactly she'll react, but I'm sure that she'll support me in the end, as she always did. I hope my mother didn't see the similarities between Yelizaveta and Krystyna, that was something I barely wanted to admit to myself let alone to my mother - Liz was certainly not disgusting, quite the opposite, but incest was disgusting, my grieving mother hardly needed to hear that two of her three daughters were sexually attracted to each other, that was something no one could tolerate, that was something that the world couldn't tolerate - as it is right now, the world can't even tolerate homosexuality, let alone incestuous homosexuality, besides, I'm going to let Yelizaveta choose if she even wants to tell our mother about her sexuality.

"Your mother?" Krystyna seemed a bit surprised but she only needed a moment to think it through - her brain works fast, I like that about her, I like a lot of things about her, especially the fact than I _can_ like things about her - before answering "Of course Anastasia, meeting your mother would be an honor, between you, Yelizaveta, and Sofiya, I trust that the woman who made you all what you are today is truly a great woman." I blushed at Krystyna's praise, she was a very smart woman indeed, she knew how to speak to her audience, I didn't want her to be so formal or so official with everything, but she knew that, in Russia, I'm the Tsarina and she's just a foreign noblewoman, I don't want that though, I was a relationship as equals and Lady Krystyna is one of the few women in the world who I consider my equal, I'll give her The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and she'll use that as a base for pushing her claims and her ambitions as far as they can possibly take her, creating an Empire throughout eastern and central Europe, an Empire of separate states, but a powerful entity regardless - these states would have to be separate, as King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, she would be directly under Russian influence exactly as I intended, as Queen and Elector of Bohemia, she would have to accept at least the nominal authority of a Habsburg Empire, and, as Princess of Transylvania into Queen of Hungary, both the Habsburgs and The Ottomans will try and force her into their sphere of influence, though, at the heart of this web of different allegiances, conflicting interests, and overlapping claims, I could very well see Lady Krystyna rising above it all, that is why I respected her, that I why I feared her, that is why I loved her.

Thus, the two of us chatted and ate a light breakfast before we got up and prepared to meet my mother, we both wore the colors of our respective countries, I wore the gold and black of The Tsardom of Russia while she wore a pale red - almost like a faded pink - dress with silver and burgundy accents which made the whole outfit look perfect on her, she was beautifully, she was smart, she was the perfect woman for me, yet these feelings for Yelizaveta won't go away and the circumstances don't let me just ignore them altogether yet, not until I find her a lover, however, how does one go about doing that? I found Krystyna by circumstance - well not exactly circumstance, knowing her the way I do now, it's no wonder that she got involved in the peace negotiations at Warsaw despite her rivalry with Jan the Prussian, she cared more about Poland and would be better for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth than Johann von Konigsberg could ever hope to be, hence, I would work to make her the King of Poland, a allowing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to regain their old glory in new ways, now focusing to the west rather than east, because in the east, there would only be their mighty Russian ally and benefactor.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be in the Russian sphere of influence, however, it would be strong enough to spread Russian influence throughout the region, meanwhile, The Kingdom of Georgia was smaller and less useful as a vassal, so, despite the Kingdom being held by my mother's family, I would likely annex it all together and bring Georgia into the Russian fold - after all, Georgia will allow us to reach our soon-to-exist Caucasian territory from Circassia in addition to our coast on the western Caspian Sea in the stretch from Astrakhan to Baku. Baku has a history that shows just how turbulent the region has been, it had been part of Shirvan before being conquered by the Qara Qoyunlu Turks, that dynasty would lose its core territories in Iraq and Mesopotamia to The Ottomans before filling in the power vacuum in Persia left by the fall of The Timurid Dynasty, the Qara Qoyunlu, now Persians, would hold on to Baku until The Ottomans conquered it just recently during the reign of Sultan Suleiman III, now, my ambitions direct me to push south of the Caucasus Mountains and create a frontier for Russia in the south by conquering the territories that The Ottomans haven't even be able to fortify. their Caucasian acquisitions, making them ripe for the taking, at the same time, I would finally eliminate the thorn in my side that is Crimea, connecting Circassia with Zaporizhia in a much less circuitous way. The annexation of Georgia and the conquest of land from The Ottomans would bring a plethora of new groups into my Tsardom of Russia, groups that I was eager to put to work and put to the test in my absolutist system of meritocracy, strengthening royal power at the expense of the nobility and the church, uplifting the middle class but creating the power to slap down those middle class bureaucrats at will, in theory, this all seems perfect and it is certainly doable for our mighty civilization, however, I had no delusions that a war against The Ottoman Empire would not be an easy conflict, the Turks were a tough people and I didn't know what to make of Sultana Helena, but if anyone can get it done, it's The Tsardom of Russia and our allies in our soon-to-be vassal The Kingdom of Georgia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

We climbed the steps to the second floor and approached the isolated master bedroom - it had belonged to my mother and father, now, only my mother remains there. I opened the first door, exposing my father's private office, being Tsar demanded he did work even while on extended stays at Kolomenskoye, now, as Tsarina, I had the same responsibilities but with greater ambitions, hence, I was heading to Moscow later today. I brushed my hand against my father's large wooden desk - I wasn't allowed in here often growing up, nor was I allowed in dad's proper office at Kolomenskoye, he was a great man and he taught me everything I know about ruling, however, when he was working, he had to work, he always told me that if I leave him alone he'll be done sooner and able to give me whatever I wanted, he was right most of the time, but more than once did he work himself into exhaustion and go straight to sleep once he was done - things were harder of Russia back then, between a prolonged war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth culminating in Poles and Lithuanians besieging Moscow itself at the time of my birth to widespread poverty and famine in the war torn territories - The Commonwealth was much more brutal in their invasion of Russia than I was in my invasion of their country, which is why Zaporizhia, Ruthenia, and Byelorussia are now part of The Tsardom of Russia and why there has yet to be a rebellion, we have ensured that, to the best of our ability, we crossed over the land that we wanted with a light touch, only once we crossed over into Poland proper and Galicia did we open up and use our armies to their full potential, forcing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to surrender. My father turned Russia around, he modernized our army, he invested in artillery, and he enabled me to begin my reign with such a brief and decisive war against a neighbor that nearly destroyed us a mere nineteen years prior, now, I had all the glory while all that was left of him was a dusty desk - that's not fair, my victory is only possible because of nearly two decades of hard work thanks to my father, he deserves at least as much, if not more, of the glory as I do, regardless of how compelling the story of The Princess of The Resurrection born during a Polish and Lithuanian Siege of Moscow rose up, defeated the Poles and the Lithuanians, and made their country a Russian Protectorate, in reality, all I did was fulfill my father's legacy.

I opened the second set of doors, leaving my father's office and entering the bedroom itself, inside, I saw my mother knelt in the front of the bed praying, she was still dressed in a simple black dress without any trim or any other color to speak of, she was still morning. I approached her quietly and rested a hand on her shoulder, Krystyna followed behind closely, she wanted to comfort my mother too but she knew that it wasn't her place to intervene, this was between myself and my mother, I wouldn't intervene between Krystyna and her mother either. My mother paused at my touch and quickly finished up here prayer, she sat there knelt for a moment longer before finally deciding that it was time to stop mourning, I had an internal sigh of relief, I knew coming up here that there was a chance that my mother wasn't ready to come out of her mourning phase, I knew that she might've just gone straight back to praying, however, as she stood up on shaky legs, thinner and paler than usual - we left her food and water three times a day and she'd always eat and drink it, however, she'd never do it until we left, but now, now maybe she'd return to a healthy lifestyle, now maybe we could be a family once again.

"Nastya," my mother hugged me and I hugged back, I felt hot tears flowing down her face onto my shoulder and I couldn't hold back any longer, I cried too, when my father died, it felt like I lost both of my parents, it felt like I was all alone thrown to the wolves, left to either rise to the position of Tsarina of Russia or watch my whole dynasty unravel, I succeeded, I got Russia under control, and I beat The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but I didn't do it alone, I had Yelizaveta at my side, helping me more than she ever realized she did - just by being there, just by letting me know that I wasn't alone, she made it infinitely easier to be Tsarina of Russia, even if she also complicated things by helping my realize my sexuality and, not long after, the two of us discovering that we had feelings for each other, the amount that she helped me just by being there outweighed anything she could've done to hinder me. My father's death pulled my family apart, but now, I was ready to rebuild my family, my mother would return, Yelizaveta and Sofiya would be my sisters and heiresses, and Krystyna would be my lover, everything would be as it should be and any mourning, any isolation, any incestuous feelings would be erased, everything would be perfect and normal.

"Mother," I greeted "It's been too long, I missed you."

"I've been gone too long, I'm sorry, I should've been there for you, my little Tsarina," my mother brushed my blonde hair behind my ear with sad, tear filled eyes, she thought that she failed as a mother - I don't think so, I agree that she should've been there for me but I don't feel that she's failed, quite the opposite, the fact that she was back now, the fact that she wanted to atone for her actions means that's she's more successful than the vast majority of mothers "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Anastasia, I love you and I want to make up for everything, I want to help you every step of the way, please tell me, how has your reign gone so far? Are you okay? Have the nobles been troubling you?"

"I'm fine mother, don't worry, the nobles haven't been more than an annoyance and I'll make sure they can't even be that, I'm not worried about that. As for the beginning of my reign, I've spent most of it at war with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth." I explained to my mother, I glanced briefly at my audience, my mother seemed shocked that I've already gone to war and come back from it while Krystyna seemed embarrassed at her country's greatest failure, the war really had been devastating quick, however, thanks to Krystyna, I'm sure that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will rise again like a phoenix, she will become the great woman west of Russia, the greatest woman in the world second only to myself and my sisters and successors.

"War? How long was I away?" My mother asked, fearful that she spent years mourning, she clearly lost track of time, thankfully, it hasn't been years, it hasn't even been a year, I was about to reassure my mother when Krystyna finally spoke up.

"The war did not last long Tsaritsa Maria, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was caught off-guard and soundly defeated by a much stronger, much more modern Russian force of two armies, King Zygmunt August II was killed early in the war and The Sejm chose a Prussian named Johann von Konigsberg for the throne, believing he would win them the war, they were wrong." Lady Krystyna explained, she addressed her mentor Sigismund Augustus II by his proper Polish name whole she didn't even call Jan the Prussian a King, let alone indulge him by pretending he's Polish, in fact, in the second half of the statement I detected resentment - Krystyna wanted to replace her mentor as King of Poland right away, however, they elected Jan the Prussian instead and now, Krystyna sought the assistance of the country that killed her mentor to put her on the throne. She knows and I know that Russia killed Sigismund Augustus, however, we were enemies back then, now, we're allies and I will suit Krystyna's interest as long as she suits my interests.

"Mother, this is our guest, Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, she's a Polish noblewoman with holdings in Mazovia, she has claims to both Bohemia and Transylvania, additionally, she's a popular candidate for the Polish throne, she is an honored guest of The Tsardom of Russia and I believe forming a bond with her will be beneficial for both The Tsardom of Russia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, additionally, I enjoy the bond we've forged." I explained to my mother though the last part was mainly directed at Lady Krystyna, my two blue orbs looked into her mismatched green and hazel eyes, meanwhile, my mother's blue eyes darted back and forth between us, she caught on to something, I watched as she thought through this, she seemed to frown, my face drooped into an open frown, I didn't want my mother to be disappointed in me, however, when my mother saw me frown, then she looked surprised...I wish I could understand what was going through her head, I'm sure this whole thing took only a moment, but for me, each agonizing second of watching her reaction felt like an eternity.

"Hello Lady Krystyna, it is my privilege to have you as a guest and it is...pleasant to learn about the bond between you and my eldest daughter." My mother stood up and approached us, choosing her words very carefully, at this point, I wasn't sure what she was up to, but she definitely managed to piece everything together, in fact, I feared that I've been too blatant, however, fortunately for me, my mother wasn't freaking out at least, though her reaction was hard to read and it was even harder to figure out how she felt about us "However, I've been away from my daughter's life for far too long, now that I'm back, I need to do everything I can to take care of her, including ensuring that she...bonds with the right person."

"Of course, Tsaritsa Maria, I understand." Lady Krystyna replied and she braced herself for questioning, all I could do was silently hope that she'll pass my mother's scrutiny, I watched as my black-haired brunette mother gave the Polish noblewoman a once other, I hoped that she found her appearance flawless rather than noticing that there's more than a few physical similarities between the Pole and Yelizaveta, she looked into her mismatched eyes and I hope that my mother found they were unified with love for me rather than some sort of sign of insincerity, and as my mother grabbed Krystyna's chin and ensured that she'd keep her eyes locked with my mother's, I hope she too noticed that Krystyna didn't flinch. Krystyna was being brave for me and that only made me love her more, she's the only woman that could fill Yelizaveta's place in my heart, but loving her is fundamentally flawed in that I'll have to send her away to be King of Poland sooner rather than later, my political goals demand that, Krystyna's potential demands that, but my heart wants her with me.

"Why did you come to Russia with my daughter?" My mother started off, Krystyna went through a few different reasons why she did so with me and they all seemed true, whether it was to ensure that she was safe from Jan the Prussian, the bring Russian backing for the next election in The Sejm once Jan the Prussian dies, to live vicariously through the reign of another ambitious young Slavic woman, because she was attracted to me even then, or because she thought that, from within, she could ensure that Poland benefits from a relationship with The Tsardom of Russia, all of these were valid reasons and I think she went over all of these in her head before accepting, however, some of these were better than others and she needs to put her best foot forward with my mother, however, I fear that, if she lies, my mother will catch her on it immediately, therefore, Krystyna must give the best, most honest answer she can muster.

"I came to Russia because, in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I felt like I was the smartest, the most cunning, and the most worthy person in the whole Kingdom yet no one acknowledged me and, time and time again, I would try to grow more powerful or influential and I would be shot down, denied, or overlooked entirely, even when I became protege to King Zygmunt August, they replaced him with Johann von Konigsberg instead, a Prussian, a man who had been Protestant before being elected, in many ways, that was the final straw for me, however, when I forced myself onto the negotiation table at Warszawa, your daughter, the beautiful, intelligent, cunning young woman who practically dismantled my country before my very eyes saw potential in me, she realized that I shined about Jan the Prussian, General Kaminskas, and all the others, to be treated like that for a young woman in a world that has kept her down, it was intoxicating." Krystyna replied, giving an answer so honest she hadn't even admitted it to me, she liked me because I, without even knowing it, gave her all she ever wanted. I never realized that I could have that effect on a person and I beamed in appreciation at her answer.

"A good reason, but a selfish one," My mother replied and my beaming faded away, it wasn't a selfish reason, if someone did that for me I'd fall in love with them too, in fact, a big part of why I feel so much for Krystyna is that she offers me a way out of the turmoil I feel for my sister, she's a simple and safe option but an option that is still beautiful, smart, and incredibly useful, she was intoxicating because she was as close as I could get to Yelizaveta without committing incest, that was a horrible reason, I admit, but that's another big part of the reason why I feel this way for her, she is more than just a substitute, I'd never put Krystyna through a relationship if she was just a substitute, but now that I've seen the similarities between her and Yelizaveta, I can't unsee them, I can't shake the feeling that this relationship is so much like a substitution for an incestuous one, I can't help but think that I may be lying to myself when I say this she's more than just a substitute. I know that she deserves to be infinitely more than that, I know that she deserves to be cherished as someone's one true love, and I know that I want to be the one true love for her, however, after meeting her, after kissing her, after introducing her to my mother, I still feel these incestuous feelings for Yelizaveta. What happens if those feelings never go away? Will I just have to lie to Krystyna about my feelings? Will I have to tell her that she's my one true love while, the whole time, I feel these awful, incestuous, monstrous feelings for my own flesh and blood sister?

"People are selfish creatures, are they not?" Lady Krystyna challenged, my mother did not expect that, however, as seemingly wrong as it was, perhaps this was the answer my mother needed to hear, I imagined my mother must be thinking of how, in many ways, secluding herself in mourning while her daughter takes the reigns of a whole country, a country as large and also as hated as The Tsardom of Russia, was more selfish, I realized that, Krystyna realized it, and now my mother realized that, I understand that she needed to mourn and I'm not mad at her, I'm not, but she has to understand that it's a lot of pressure for a nineteen year old girl and, if I didn't have Yelizaveta at my side, I don't know if I could've accomplished nearly as much as I did.

"Y...Yes, yes we are." My mother admitted before clearing her throat and refocusing on what she was here to do, she knew what she did was wrong and she already apologized, this was about her figuring out whether or not Krystyna was up to the high standards she passed for me, thus far, Krystyna has been performing admirably, her first answer impressed me even if it didn't impress my mother and, in her second answer, she managed to get my mother to back down, that was no small feat and I was loving Krystyna more by the minute, she was answering everything correctly, she was passing my mother's tests, she was finally someone who I could actually be with, maybe she'll never fill a Yelizaveta shaped hole in my heart but she'll fill something in my heart and filling that something is more than anyone else can ever do for me, I did feel something for her and it could grow, it could maybe even match what I feel for Liz one day "Next question Krystyna: would you still feel this way about my daughter if she couldn't further your own political interests?"

"Yes," Krystyna immediately replied with a certainty that made my heart flutter, she really would love me with or without political interests, that was a wonderful feeling, however, a terrible feeling was the fact that I don't know if I would love Krystyna if I was able to pursue Yelizaveta - well the truth is I can't really pursue either of them but I'll take the fallout of a homosexual relationship, I will not take the fallout of an incestuous relationship, especially not a homosexual incestuous relationship, and certainly not a homosexual incestuous relationship with my would-be successor. - and that scares me "I love your daughter now despite what she did to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth so this is not a question of political concerns."

Love. That four letter word, it was one thing to admit it to myself, it was another to hear those words out in the open, but Krystyna just said it, she said it in front of my mother, with so much pride and conviction that I couldn't possibly doubt her, not even my mother could doubt her, but I could certainly doubt myself, I love her, that much is true, but would I ever be able to love her to the same extent? Would this ever be an equal relationship? Would I ever be good for her? Krystyna seemed like the perfect option, she seemed like a wonderful solution, she seemed like the one who would get me to forget all about these feelings for Yelizaveta, but my feelings for Yelizaveta have not gone away, they've only grown stronger if anything. These damned feelings, they were going to ruin my life, weren't they? I couldn't simply be happy with Krystyna, my body had to want something that my mind knew it couldn't have and that would ultimately result in me never being able to find love, I can't do this to Krystyna because she truly loves me and, while I do truly love her, I don't just love her, I love my sister more.

"Love? Anastasia, do you love this girl?" My mother turned to me, I may have inherited my blonde hair from my father but she had the same blue eyes as me, the same blue eyes as Yelizaveta, and, as I stared into those eyes, I realized that judgement day was upon me. I had to answer and I had to answer with certainty, any hesitation would eliminate any chance of me finding love, I may love Yelizaveta more but I know that incestuous love is impossible love, quite frankly, Yelizaveta is not an option and she never was, but I do love Krystyna, she's right in front of me, she's ready to hear a declaration of love and I sense that, if I give a declaration of love, if I show that this is just as important to me as my father was to my mother, then we'll have her blessing regardless of her opinion on homosexual relationships. I had to take this, this is the only happiness I will be able to achieve and, if I refuse her after all of this, then that will only hurt Lady Krystyna more, I've gone too far to say no, we've gone too far to back down, there's love between us, she thinks I'm perfect for her and I know that she's almost perfect for me, as perfect as I'll ever get. My love for Yelizaveta will only lead to pain and suffering for the both of us, I must learn to live with her as nothing more than a sister and she must learn the same thing, no more sleeping in the same bed, no more putting it off, we need to draw the clear boundaries now, then I can worry about finding her a lover, meanwhile, I'll take on Krystyna now, having her is the only way to truly numb my feelings for Yelizaveta, even if I know that nothing will ever fully erase these feelings. I knew I was running out of time before I needed to answer so I took a deep breath before committing myself, I would be with Krystyna regardless of my feelings for Yelizaveta, those feelings were sinful, incestuous, and wrong, they would be locked away, never to surface again.

"Yes mother, I do love her, I love her because of my own selfish reasons, I love her because she'll spread Russian influence far beyond our borders, I love her because she's the smartest, most beautiful, most cunning woman I've ever seen outside of the divine blood of The House Rurikovich, she's everything I could ever hope for in a mate. Her green and hazel eyes may seem different to the untrained eye, but when I look into them, I only see the same lust, the same understanding, and the same love, when I look at her blonde hair I imagine retiring to our chambers after a long day of work and brushing her hair as I tell her of my day, when I look at her body, I think thoughts that I don't dare tell you about mother. In a harsh world, in a world that does not tolerate homosexuality, in a world that barely tolerates strong women, I never thought that I would meet a woman like her, let alone a woman like her that was attainable, now that I have, I beg of you not to take this away from me." I replied, it was true, when I realized my feelings for Yelizaveta, I never thought that I would find a woman up to my standards that was attainable, but I have, I found someone who I can love, I found someone who I can be happy with, I found someone who is the best person who I could conceivably have, yes I love my sister, but I know that I can't have her, I've always known that, my options are to either be happy with Krystyna, even if that is settling in a way, or to be lost to loneliness and angst while I long for a relationship that cannot be with Liz and wonder what could've been with Krystyna.

"Well then, you know that I love you too much to stop this Anastasia...do your sisters know?" My mother gave her blessing before asking, she came to a similar understanding as Liz and I did when we realized our own sexualities, that someone would be left with the responsibility of producing heirs, the two of us agreed that it would be Sofiya but we never told her, now, my mother was thinking that the responsibility would be shared between Yelizaveta and Sofiya, in reality, the third sister, the youngest of us all, little Sophie, is strapped with the burden of producing my heirs. I felt guilty about that, I did, she should know, she deserved to know - I couldn't fear that she didn't want to do it because if she finds out otherwise then she'll definitely not want to continue our dynasty, we must be honest with her and we must hope that she'll accept this responsibility.

"Yelizaveta knows, Sofiya does not." I admitted.

"You must tell Sofiya." My mother told me, emphasizing the must and I know that she was right, she gave me a squeeze on the shoulder because she knew that it would be difficult for me, however, she then kept a hand on my shoulder and turned me to face Krystyna, she turned to face me towards the person who made me happy, I smiled, she did make me happy, perhaps not as happy as Yelizaveta would have, but I can't base my happiness off of an unrealistic fantasy and, if the worst reality was having to spend my life with someone like Lady Krystyna well...I couldn't exactly complained. Therefore, my pair of blue eyes looked into her green eye and her hazel eye, different yet the same within, but I didn't get to look into them long, she closed her eyes, I closed mine too, and, the second after, we closed the distance between each other, my lips touched hers, electrified with love and the knowledge that this is the best relationship I will ever get, this is the best that I can ever hope for and, as the kiss brought me up to a heavenly high, I thought that this might just plain be the best.

* * *

"Nobles of Russia, your Tsarina has arrived!" A crier announced as I entered the assembly chamber of the Kremlin "Tsarina Anastasia of The Resurrection, Tsarina of all Russia, Tsarina of the Steppes, Tsarina of Siberia, Tsarina of the Ukraine, Tsarina of Byelorussia, Grand Princess of Muscovy, Grand Princess of Vladimir, Grand Princess of Novgorod, Grand Princess of Ryazan, Grand Princess of Tver. Princess of Beloozero, of Rostov, of Yaroslavl, of Odoyev, of Perm, of Pskov, of Smolensk, of Polotsk, of Chernigov, or Zaporizhia. Autocrat of the lands of the Golden Horde, Autocrat of the lands of the Nogai Horde, Autocrat of the lands of the Kazan Horde. Mistress and Protector of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Hereditary Princess and Suzerain of The Kingdom of Georgia, Overlord of all Cossacks and their Hosts, Bane of the Hordes and Khanates, and Sovereign of the crossroads of Europe and Asia. She who has finally vanquished our enemy The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and turned them into an obedient Protectorate and ally against The Ottomans, she who defeated and slayed King Sigismund Augustus II at The Battle of Brest, she who was born in the Polish Siege of Moscow and risen up to lead the Russian Siege of Warsaw, your Empress of The Third Rome, your Caesar, and the supreme Autocrat of all of Russia, may you love her and fear her equally for she is capable of infinite compassion and infinite destruction!"

The Titles were grand and quite numerous, a testament to how divided and fractured Russia was after the Mongol Invasion, however, the branch of The House Rurikovich that reign over Moscow united land after land, bringing them all into The Grand Principality of Muscovy until the Grand Principality was the sole ruler of all Russian lands east of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, hence The Grand Principality of Muscovy became The Tsardom of Russia, now a superpower, my goal is to ensure that Russia is recognized by the world as the great power that she deserves to be, a feat that is a lot easier now that Europe has noticed me crushing the Poles and the Lithuanians, a feat that will become even easier after we defeat The Ottoman Empire on top of all that. The Tsardom of Russia has conquered dozens of Khanates and Mongol remnants state to civilize the frontier, The Tsardom of Russia has finally established supremacy over Eastern Europe once and for all with a humiliating and decisive victory over The Commonwealth, and soon, The Tsardom of Russia shall drive The Ottomans from their most recent conquests in Crimea and south of the Caucasus Mountains, establishing our supremacy over the lands around the Black Sea as well. I had many titles and for every title, I had an ambition that was even greater, an ambition to conquer the next bit of land, an ambition to develop the frontiers of Russia, an ambition to establish the absolute and the divine authority of the Tsar over my subjects, over the nobility, and over the world.

I did believe that The House Rurikovich deserved absolute power, the nobles were nothing but obstruction for a country like Russia, they put their own self-interest ahead of what was good for the state, therefore, I would replace them, I would form a bureaucracy to manage their lands and fulfill the needs of the state, those who do the best will be rewarded with gold, prestige, and position, those who fail will be removed, all will answer to the Tsarina, that is the way that the Russian people shall operate, why? Because The House Rurikovich deserved it. Many European monarchs are beginning to claim the divine right to rule, whether they're Protestant or Catholic, however, we have the true claim, my ancestors brought Christianity to Russia, my ancestors established The Russian Orthodox Church as an independent entity, rejection the authority of The Ottoman Empire and their puppet the Ecumenical Patriarch, we must be blessed, how else could we soundly defeat The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in mere months? How else could all three of us Rurikovich daughters be so beautiful? How else could my birth during The Siege of Moscow turn around such a hopeless siege in a hopeless war? My father went from defending Moscow from the Poles and Lithuanians while the city starved and my mother gave birth to turning the war around and winning Smolensk in the treaty, then, he used the peace to modernize and build up the Russian army, he won the war and we won the peace, then I delivered the death blow with perfection that only a divine dynasty of a dynasty of ivory goddesses with perfect blonde hair and piercing blue eyes could accomplish. We have faults, including a particularly nasty fault that is incestuous feelings, however, these are hardly abnormal faults, after all, the Greek gods married their siblings, now, those gods are mythical, but our God has awarded us privileges that allow us to live as gods among men, it was about time that we started using those privileges, it was about time that Russia becomes an absolutist state, an absolutist yet benevolent state, everything I do is to benefit the Russian people, whether by giving us new sources of land, food, or resources, or just by protecting us from our many, many enemies.

"Nobles of Russia! We have achieved a momentous and historic victory! The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been robbed of its status as a great power and reduced to a vehicle with which we can spread Russian influence through the Catholic countries of central, eastern, and perhaps even southern Europe, they are now an ally and a Protectorate of our mighty Empire and our interests and now intertwined with their own, we have finally created a partnership that shall inflict devastating losses upon The Ottoman Empire, we can turn the tide in Europe once and for all. The Ottoman Empire is our true enemy, in Crimea they divide Zaporizhia from Circassia, in the Caucasus, they threaten both our Georgian allies but our presence along the Caspian Sea, all the while, The Ottomans Empire claims religious authority over the Muslims of southern Russia, we can all agree that this is too much, The Ottoman Empire's power must be curtailed. We must halt Ottoman expansion and we must push the Turks back on every front, and to do that, I've laid our a groundwork for my plans for Russia." I created a convenient scapegoat in the form of The Ottoman Empire, I would use them to justify my move towards absolutism and, soon enough, I would push this scapegoat all the way and use it to justify my war against The Ottoman Empire, the very war that shall take Crimea and the sub-Caucasian lands for The Tsardom of Russia.

"First of all, I need the best and brightest minds of The Tsardom of Russia at my disposal, however, we can all agree that, as it stands now, the Kremlin is inadequate for such a task, therefore, I have decided to tap into the four years worth of income that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has provided us and I will use that income to build a new palace and a new square in Moscow, this is where government shall be centered, here, all of you nobles shall be hosted in absolute luxury to support me against The Ottoman Empire, additionally, here, we could concentrate a number of elements of the Russian Crown, particularly the colonization of Siberia, the construction of a Russian navy in the Black Sea, and the expansion of the Oprichniki to ensure that The Ottomans cannot sabotage us on the home front" Now I was bending the truth, I certainly did not believe the nobles to be the best and brightest minds in Russia - the best and brightest minds in Russia will be put to work in my bureaucracy instead - but I let them believe that so I could concentrate the nobility in my new palace and fill the vacuum with a bureaucracy, a bureaucracy that shall grow to include the oprichniki, the navy, and my colonization of Siberia - my secret police, my navy, and my colonists would all be under the control of whoever deserved the job rather than some no-name nobility. The rise of the bureaucracy and the expansion of the military will vastly increase my power and I shall increase my power as much as the excuse of containing The ottoman Empire allows me to - thankfully my devastating defeat of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has provided me with an excellent dose of credibility in such matters.

"Second of all, I want to curb Ottoman religious power by settling southern Russia and making it follow the same Orthodox Church we do, this will be accomplished by a combination of resettlement and conversion, I encourage Russian families to settle in Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Novonikolaevsk, and other strongholds on the fringes of Russia, this will allow us to push those fringes farther and farther, establishing us Russians as a people to expand well beyond what our enemies would consider our natural borders. Another religious goal is to strengthen The Russian Orthodox Church in general, we do not want our religion splintering into a billion different factions as if it were yet another flavor of western Christianity, I will not fall for it, Eastern Orthodoxy shall remain the strongest and largest religion in Russia regardless of whom we annex. A stronger religion will only benefit the state and a closer relationship between church and state shall allow us to exercise our blood authority over those lesser than us." I gave a warped story to my nobles and, in reality, I wanted to control the Church too, the nobles shall not, that's because the nobles have next to nothing in their blood, they are mere countesses, Ladies, and other such lesser positions. Additionally, I wanted to take advantage of Russia's large size and population to encourage settlement further east, including in Siberia, including in major cities, and, in strategic outpost towns all throughout southern Russia, taking the steppes one bit of land at a time.

"Third of all, to streamline the war process, I must be able to raise troops, call upon levies, and raise taxes all without the authority of the nobles, you see how feudalism has prevented The Holy Roman Emperor from crushing the Protestants time and time again and that's for a power fighting against small German states and the Scandinavians, meanwhile, we'll be up against The Ottoman Empire, the very civilization that destroyed The Second Rome. We are not only fighting to defend and expand our borders, we are fighting for the religions, political, and cultural legacy of our nation, if we were to abandon that, we might as well abandon any hope of ever being accepted as a great power." I didn't have to use The Ottomans as an excuse for expanding my power, I could've accomplished it a number of ways, however, riling up my people against The Ottoman Empire suited my interests in terms of the upcoming war and, now that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was defeated, subdued, and turned to our side, The Ottoman Empire is the only country west of China that we fear and we do not border China yet - that's something I intend for my colonization efforts in Siberia to change - so, to my nobles, the Turks are a much bigger, much more real threat that the Chinese could ever hope to be, additionally, the rapid collapse of the Ming Dynasty in China makes it unlikely that they'll involve themselves in our politics right now, they'll be busy resolving their own. In any case, The Ottomans were a convenient and useful scapegoat and, by the time they were no longer a threat, I'll have cemented my absolute power to a point that the nobles wouldn't be able to argue, of course, it's not like they'd argue against the woman who led their country to victory against The Ottoman Empire and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth anyway.

"Fourth of all, I need to update the law code, my updates will allow me to pursue the goals previously stated more effectively and I can target Ottoman supporters and sympathizers, hunting them down and eliminating them under the threat of treason, this will prevent a pro-Ottoman uprising from occurring in Astrakhan for instance while my armies are preoccupied in Crimea and Armenia." Of course the real reason why I wanted to control the law code is to put my new absolutist power in writing, Ottoman support is hardly the only thing I will write off as treason, I will write off noble resistance as treason, therefore, if they resist my kind requests, if they resist my forceful demands, if they resist my final warnings, I can bring in the oprichniki, an ugly solution, but a solution that may have to be used in this world of self-interest and widespread corruption - speaking of, the penalties for corruption will be made much, much harsher. I am not so naive as to say that I'll be able to eliminate corruption, but I'll be able to limit it and I'll be able to get rid of individuals who are prone to it. I will also use this opportunity to ensure that laws against homosexuality are quietly removed from our law codes, obviously that won't eliminate homophobia, but at least my fellow homosexuals won't face legal persecution on top of all that, similarly, I'll remove similar laws about Jews, the Jews will be able to become powerful bureaucrats in Russia if they have the skills to do so, as will Muslims, though both Jews and Muslims will be prevented from spreading their faith, after all, the expansion of The Russian Orthodox Church suited my interests, the reduction of it did not. So I will change the law code to expand my power and to suit some of my more personal interests.

"Finally, nobles and their estate proliferate northern and central Russia, however, southern Russia is mainly the domain of Cossacks, Cossacks who are officially and usually under our control, however, that is not enough, southern Russia must be civilized and filled with vehicles with which I can expand the authority of The Tsardom of Russia at the expense of The Ottoman Empire and the Khanates of Central Asia and Siberia, hence, in addition to my plans for Moscow, the four years worth of Polish and Lithuanian income shall be put towards settling southern Russia with towns, cities, and outposts. These settlements shall initially be under my direct control so I can personally oversee settlement, I will be able to turn these settlements into noble estates at a later date." I would be able to do it, however, I would not, southern Russia was populated by only a scant few estates, mostly opportunistic former Cossacks turned nobles and Horde clans who sided with us over the rest of the Horde, I was intent on keeping it that way and creating a plethora of new towns and settlements under my rule, I would expand that to Ottoman Crimea given that, other that the peninsula itself and Azov, the lands of Ottoman Crimea have barely changed since the times of The Khanate of Crimea, as for their lands south of the Caucasus, those lands already have many settlements and the mountainous terrain will make it hard to create meaningful new settlements, but I can keep the conquered settlements under my rule, sure I'll hand out the token few to soldiers who proved particularly valorous, but, for the most part, these settlements, particularly the strategic ones, will belong to me, just like Minsk, Kiev, and Ochakiv do, the two regional capitals of Byelorussia and Ruthenia respectively and the city I intended to use as one of the ports from which I'll build my Black Sea fleet.

I was empowered by my victory over The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Tsardom was wealthier and more stable than it had been for thirty years - most of that was thanks to my father - and seemingly the only one who could threaten that was The Ottoman Empire, the very Ottoman Empire who I promised to defeat if these nobles gave me all these privileges I asked for, thus, the nobles in Moscow signed away their rights and allowed me to vastly centralize my lands, in a day Russia made several leaps towards absolute monarchy, in a day, Russia surpassed the Europeans and became the leader in royal authority. I would spend the next few weeks spending a lot of time in Moscow, I had to start using my newfound power and I had to start building that palace, that palace which shall be a monument to Russia's new role as a great world power, the palace that shall be the new home for The House Rurikovich, the palace that shall be a prison without bars for my nobles, locked in their gilded cages and left oblivious to the fact that all their power has been taken by me and given to the bureaucrats.

* * *

"Introducing Camillo Ricco di Cuneo and Andrea Riccardo di Sant'Agata Bolognese, the architects you requested. These two are pioneers of the baroque style, Cuneo has been renovating Milan on behalf of the governor, Prince Fernando of Spain, meanwhile, Sant'Agata trained under one of the architects behind the new Papal Palace and has just completed work on a new star fortress for The Duke of Ferrara." My crier introduced the two Italians I had hired to build my new palace, Camillo was clearly an artistic type, with news black hair and a lanky appearance, he clearly was not built for military work, I don't think that he's disciplined enough to make it as a bureaucrat, and with a name like di Cuneo, he was either a commoner with no surname or a noble from the family reigning over the Alpine town, I suspected the former. Andrea had a lighter complexion with a red beard of all things despite being from a town somewhat farther south than Cuneo, he too seemed like an artistic type, however, I suspected he would end up spending more time actually working than searching for "inspiration," unlike his colleague.

"My Tsarina, it is an infinite pleasure! You are as beautiful and as rich as I could possibly imagine!" Camillo dropped to his knees with the typical overblown praise you could expect from an Italian, they were an interesting people, but a people very much unlike the Russians, nevertheless, their new baroque architectural style with a filter of Russian sensibility shall produce a palace that is both foreboding and beautiful, an example of infinite wealth yet also infinite power, those who come here will either come to be rewarded with salvation or cast down with damnation.

"Greetings my Tsarina, the Duke of Ferrara sends his regards and wishes you well against The Ottomans, he hopes that this Palace may be a monument of your success." Andrea gave a much better greeting and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that rulers as far away and relatively insignificant as the Duke of Ferrara want me to succeed...The Ottoman Empire has definitely made a lot of enemies all over the Christian world, they are hated from Georgia to Portugal, from Malta to Norway, and they are openly opposed by powers as small as The Knights Hospitaller on Rhodes to powers as large as my very own Tsardom of Russia, The Holy Roman Empire, and The Kingdom of Spain.

They presented their plans for me, Camillo and Andrea had developed a plan for a five story palace that stretched out to the left and right as far as the eyes could see, lit with large glass windows separated from each other by pilasters - the pilasters were both a stylistic choice and support for the massive structure - and the main entrance to the palace, facing my new White Square, would be punctuated by six columns, extending all the way up five stories to a magnificent pediment, standing at the top of the palace like a crown, within the pediment, Camillo wanted to carve me sitting in the throne with a halo around my head surrounded by saints, symbolizing my divine authority, Andrea argued that it would become dated too quickly, I argued that it was my palace so if I wanted to have myself on the pediment I would, but, as a compromise to Andrea, I would be carved on the throne next to Yelizaveta, also with a halo, also with the crown, therefore, it would be the current Tsarina and the next one, so at least it won't be dated for decades. Additionally, the palace would expand beyond the square with two sections - one on either side - expanding outwards with open courtyard within, finally, back to the center of the palace, opposite of White Square, two long protruding sections would expand out perpendicular to the palace proper and it would form a smaller, more private square closed off by a magnificent gate on the other side. Beyond the gate of this rear square would by the vast palace gardens, a luxury similar to the one many European monarchs enjoyed but a luxury that would be admittedly difficult here given the Russian climate, nevertheless, Camillo and Andrea assured me that they would make it work.

These two Italians ensured that I would have the largest, most extravagant, most modern, most expensive, and most luxurious palace in all of Europe and indeed, all of the world. Additionally, they designed the two other main buildings of White Square, looking out for the main entrance of the palace, on the left, there would be the new home of the Russian military, I proposed that it would be named the Aleksander Citadel in honor of my father who reformed the Russian military and made it what it is today, all I've done is make it easier to call upon great numbers of troops and even then, that only came after the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The building to the right would be the home of the bureaucracy, including the now reformed Department of Colonization and Settlement, a department which would now oversee both the colonization and settlement of Siberia, but also southern Russia as well, this will be crucial to the growth of The Tsardom of Russia, it shall be the main vehicle of our expansion beyond the traditional borders of the Russian people. The Citadel was named in honor of my father and so I should compliment that by name the bureaucracy's base of operations the Maria Davidovna Building, a building where great things will happen for The Tsardom of Russia. The buildings on the left and right were named for my mother and father while the palace had Yelizaveta and myself carved into the pediment as the Tsarinas of Russia, it's only right that the palace shall be named The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace. As for Sofiya, I'll ensure that the Cathedral at the fourth end of the square shall be named some variation of Saint Sofiya, that will be built by Russian architects, it felt disrespectful to have Italian Catholics build a Russian Orthodox Church.

I approved of the architects decisions and they praised the names I suggested, I then dismissed them and I was about to leave the Kremlin and return to Kolomenskoye to see Krystyna and my family, however, a messenger entered the throne room I was operating out of just after the architects left. I remained seated, wondering what he had to say, it could be any number of things, the world was in great freaking shape right now to put it bluntly. Did Catholic France enter the war in Germany on the Protestant side to hurt the Habsburgs? Did the King of England try and suspend Parliament only to get stabbed by his own uppity nobles with more privileges than a sliver of sense would allow? Or maybe the Ming Dynasty has finally fallen apart? Perhaps the news would be more relevant to my situation, no matter what it was, I wanted to hear it, a Tsarina must be aware of world events.

"My Tsarina, a representative of The Kingdom of Portugal has arrived, she brings news concerning The Ottoman Empire." The messenger explained, now that was unexpected, I knew that The Ottomans and the Portuguese were involved in some sort of colonial spat in Arabia, Bahrain was under Portuguese control, as was much of Muscat, it wasn't much, but with cannons, ships, and threats, the Portuguese managed to make most of Arabia their subjects, assembly what was practically an anti-Ottoman confederation centered on the Sultanate of Hormuz, I suspect that, if a Portuguese ambassador has come all the way to Moscow, all the way to the capital of a country that is opposing The Ottoman Empire, I doubt that it's gone well for them, I'd imagine they've lost all of Arabia to The Ottomans under the command of Sultana Helena, a woman who I couldn't decipher, I was under the impression that The Ottoman Empire wouldn't accept a woman as their ruler, especially not a Greek woman, yet she has only grown stronger and more stable as a ruler and I hear that she's even appointed a female Grand Vizier, perhaps I didn't know my enemy as well as I thought I did, perhaps this Portuguese ambassador would be enlightening. I was intrigued, especially considering that this Portuguese ambassador was a woman, I admit that the Portuguese aren't exactly a country that The Tsardom of Russia is interested in but I didn't think that they were that tolerant of women to trust one with something as important as diplomacy with The Ottoman Empire and The Tsardom of Russia.

"Send her in," I ordered ans the messenger bowed, a moment later, a gray eyed, pale-skinned brunette entered my room.

"Tsarina Anastasia," she bowed "My name is Bathory Terezia, or Teresa Hungara as the Portuguese call me, my father was Portugal's ambassador to Transylvania as he is a relative to the Prince, I have been working hard to prove myself just as worthy as he was, I got my chance when Sultana Helena left Arabia and indicated she wanted to negotiate a treaty in Tunis, our diplomats were already on a voyage to Arabia and we couldn't notify them, so I was sent to negotiate a treaty in Tunis, however, Sultana Helena wants all of Arabia, including out trade concessions. Obviously we can't allow that, the Indian Ocean is crucial to The Kingdom of Portugal, however, our troops in Arabia and their allies were defeated and our armies are occupied all over the world, we can't spare enough troops for such a war, so I signed an armistice for now. You can go to war with The Ottomans though, you can and you will for your own interests, I'm here to tell you that, when you do, I can offer you several warships from Portuguese Navy and financial aid, in exchange, we want Bahrain and Muscat returned to us."

The House Bathory was one of the Hungarian noble houses, the strongest one in fact, they reigned over the Principality of Transylvania, however, given that she lived in Portugal and her father was merely an ambassador, I suspect that she's from a minor branch of the major house, hence her father served Portugal instead. Nevertheless, the Hungarian woman made a good offer, more aid was always good and the Portuguese Navy supporting my own could prove to be the deciding factor in the Black Sea. I looked the woman over up and down, she was younger than me, that much is clear, but she's a smart and ambitious woman too, exactly the kind of woman who would compliment myself, Krystyna, and Yelizaveta, the woman who could complete our quartet, and the woman who could solve my love problems once and for all. She was beautiful enough and I would not be opposed to dating her - though admittedly I think the brown hair combined with gray eyes make her look a bit dreary to me, I prefer a lighter color for hair and a brighter color for eyes, I want eyes to pop and I seem to have a thing for blondes - now it's just a question of how can I get her to stay at Kolomenskoye? She's from the ruling house of Transylvania but I've already all but offered Transylvania and the rest of Hungary to Lady Krystyna, perhaps I could talk to Krystyna about giving her some land? Alternatively, Terezia made it very clear that she wants to have a high diplomatic position in government just like her father did as an ambassador, what could I offer her? I could make her more than just an ambassador, I could make her minister of foreign affairs, in that position, she could manage our ambassadors and our diplomatic relations, finding new allies and encircling our enemies, that would give her what she wanted while keeping her in Kolomenskoye where she and Yelizaveta could be together. I didn't know if Terezia was a lesbian or bisexual, however, I was her own sister and even I couldn't resist Yelizaveta, so if anyone could make a straight woman make an exception, it was Liz.

"I appreciate the offer and I do accept the deal, however, I have my own offer for you." I smirked before revealing my plans to her, I was hardly surprised when she accepted, after all, I didn't have a minister of foreign affairs and I didn't need one but I would have one if it could help me solve this love crisis, I wouldn't call it a love triangle because I didn't think that Krystyna and Yelizaveta were attracted to each other, but it was something, something that I wanted to get out of the way so I could be a happy and great Tsarina for my great Tsardom.

* * *

"Lady Krystyna," I greeted with a smile as I finally joined her on a couch at Kolomenskoye, now that a solution presented itself and I knew that she was, for better or worse, the only person who I could get away with loving, meanwhile, Yelizaveta could get away with loving Terezia, even if I was willing to be with Yelizaveta, I wouldn't be happy, we would have to hide it from our own family, I have kissed Krystyna in front of my own mother, I would never, ever, be allowed to do that with Yelizaveta and if the two of us were caught, our whole dynasty would be ruined, meanwhile, if I was caught with Krystyna, it would be a scandal, but it would be a scandal that I can handle, the fact is, over the last few weeks, I've ensured that no one can stop me, the nobility has willingly given up their power thanks to some horror stories about The Ottoman Empire, The Patriarch of Moscow is now appointed for life by the Tsarina, and my mother has already accepted my relationship with Krystyna, anyone who could've stopped me from being with Krystyna either can't or won't, this is the best I can get, I must accept it!

"My love," Krystyna greeted me with a whisper that sent chills down my spine and sealed it with a kiss...maybe accepting this won't be so hard after all, I bit her lip and she giggled into the kiss before obliging and opening her mouth, my tongue entered her mouth and hers did the same, all the while our hands explored each other's bodies, heading up, down, and sideways, touching anything and everything that we could touch through our dresses. I moaned into Krystyna's mouth as she kneaded my breasts, she giggled into my mouth again, she thought that she was in control today, I couldn't very well allow for the Tsarina to be controlled so publicly in her own retreat, in the bedroom, perhaps, but in this lounge, I must be in control. I flipped us over so I was on top, causing Krystyna to gasp before laughing again as we kissed once again, touching and feeling all over each other with a need and a passion that was almost bestial, I've been waiting to touch someone like this every since I woke up wrapped in Yelizaveta that night in Minsk, I knew I wasn't allowed to touch my sister in that way, but I know I can touch Krystyna in this way, and I know that as she softly moans in pleasure with her eyes closed, this is as good as I'm ever going to get.

We broke apart hearing a gasp, scrambling the opposite ends of the couches with our pale faces blushing redder than ever, I quickly fixed my dress and Krystyna did the same before we turned to see Sofiya enter with Terezia - I forgot that I told my sister to take the Hungarian noblewoman on a tour of the grounds, I would've done it myself but all the time I spent at Moscow was rather exhausting and I just wanted to rest with Krystyna, the stage was set for the two of us to finally have a relationship and I didn't want to wait any longer, I didn't have to wait any longer. Nor did my mother have to wait any longer for me to tell Sofiya about my sexuality, she's seen something undeniable, as has Terezia, this might complicate things...or alternatively, it could be the opening I need to set Terezia and Yelizaveta up together, though I couldn't quite do that now without telling Sofiya about Yelizaveta's sexuality and I wasn't sure if Liz was ready to tell our youngest sister quite yet, that too complicated things. This would take a little bit of maneuvering.

"Nastya..." Sophie managed, the question obvious in her face, I gulped and prepared to answer her, this is not the way that I wanted my youngest sister to find out and I did not want to be caught kissing anyone in front of a recent guest like Terezia, however, I would turn this one around and I would explain everything to my little sister and the Hungarian noblewoman who first served Portugal, now serves Russia, then, I would engineer that Terezia and Yelizaveta end up together, all the while hoping that Sofiya managed to be the one of us three sisters who ended up heterosexual.

"Sofiya...I was going to tell you." I replied first thing first, I was going to tell her, would I have told her if not for my mother? I don't know, I didn't want to, but the whole time I knew that, I had to tell her sooner rather than later "I'm sorry that you had to find out this way, you too Terezia, I should have been more careful, we should have been more careful Krystyna, but yes, we were kissing, it's not the first time and it won't be the last. I know that it's a lot to take in but...if you have any more questions, we'll do our best to answer."

"...I didn't even know you were here Krystyna." Terezia laughed - I realized I only heard one gasp when the two of them entered and, based off of their reactions, the gasp came from Sophie, Terezia seemed more surprised about the Polish noblewoman being here than about us kissing - I then realized that Krystyna and Terezia knew each other, I silently asked the two foreign noblewomen and Terezia answer first "Lady Krystyna and I are related on her mother's side, her grandmother is a Bathory, we've kept in touch."

"Until I met you, she was the only person who knew about my sexuality, and yes, I am a Bathory on my mother's side, my claims to Bohemia and Transylvania come through my mother, my lands in Mazovia and my position in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth comes from my father." Krystyna explained, so Terezia knew about Krystyna's sexuality and seemed to accept it, that was a good sign.

"I...I don't understand Nastya," Sophie squeaked out and we all turned to face her "How does this even work? You and Lady Krystyna are both women, what could you even do together?"

"...Do you want me to answer that question?" I asked my little sister, I don't think that she wanted to hear her older sister talk about sex and if she did, well...Yelizaveta and I had bigger problems to worry about than we thought.

"Y...No, no...I don't know, I don't get it!" Sophie exclaimed and I grimaced, she seemed almost frustrated at herself for not understanding it, this wasn't her fault, this wasn't anyone's fault. I got up and sat down next to Sophie, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She seemed to recoil at my touch, perhaps a reaction to this new information and, given my feelings for Yelizaveta, I can't honestly say her reaction was unwarranted, however, she eventually did settle into the touch and let me comfort her, all four of us were silent for a moment before I asked the question that I've been dreading to ask ever since I heard her gasp and Krystyna and I broke apart in a split second.

"Do you hate me now?" I asked quietly, worried about her answer, I sincerely hoped not, but people put way too much weight into whether or not someone is heterosexual, I am not, does that in any way affect my ability to be Tsarina of Russia? No, does that in any way affect my ability to be a good sister to Sofiya? No. My attraction to Yelizaveta affects my ability to be a good sisters to her but, thankfully, I don't see to have the same feelings for Sofiya - don't get me wrong, she's beautiful and I love her, but I love her as a sister, the relationship hasn't mutated the same way my relationship with Liz has.

"No!" No, of course not Nastya...it's just...it's just that I think I need some alone time to think this through, alright?" Sofiya said, rising from the couch and nodding, I let her go, she left and went to her room to think this over, she needed it, I'll give her time, eventually, she'll see that my sexuality doesn't affect our relationship. I sighed, I suppose I should warn Liz not to tell her just let, Sofiya does not need the shock of both of her sisters being gay right away, she'll hear about Yelizaveta once she's ready to hear it and Liz is ready to tell her, besides, I wanted to see my other sister now.

"I think I need to speak to Yelizaveta after this." I told Krystyna and Terezia as the two women sat down together, likely to catch up, I didn't realize that they were related, though it makes sense, Terezia is from The House Bathory and Lady Krystyna is related to The Prince of Transylvania, a Prince who is from that very noble house, so, in actuality, I should have seen this coming.

"Okay Nastya, I understand, Terezia and I will be here catching up if you need anything love." I blushed at Krystyna using the diminutive of my name, the diminutive that only members of my family have used thus far, but I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, in just a short few weeks, Krystyna became a part of my family, Yelizaveta accepted her, my mother accepted her, and, now that Sofiya knows, it's only a matter of time before she too accepts us, I guess that's that then, Krystyna is my lover and Terezia will soon be Yelizaveta's lover, even if those whole time, nothing really has changed.

* * *

"Hello Liz," I greeted as I invited myself into her room, collapsing down on her bed, utterly drained from today's events, I came back to Kolomenskoye ro relax after spending weeks working in Moscow to cement myself as the absolute ruler of Russia, to put my plans for Moscow into action, and to slowly but surely begin preparations for a war against The Ottomans.

"Hey Nastya, what's the matter?" Liz asked, sitting down next to me, looking downright gorgeous in a sleeveless dark blue dress, I averted my eyes, I wasn't supposed to look, I wasn't allowed to look.

"Sofiya caught me kissing Krystyna." I said and Liz frowned, I guess she too realized how that could be problematic, Liz is smart enough to see that, based on my current mood, it didn't go perfectly well.

"Oh...she didn't take it too well?" Liz asked, she began twirling and playing with my hair, I don't know if she even realized she was doing it, but seeing her in that dress, looking down at me concerned, and playing with my hair, it almost drove me to the point of doing something that I could never take back, the exact type of thing that getting together with Krystyna was supposed to stop.

"She'll come around in time...she has to." I sighed, everything was supposed to be perfect now that I was with Krystyna, instead, it felt like I was just complicating my family life without any solution, when I was with her, when I was kissing her and feeling her, it felt good, however, when I was away from her, I found my thoughts filled with Yelizaveta rather than her, I knew I wanted the Polish noblewoman, but this incestuous crush on my own sister was overwhelming.

"So I guess everything is set between you and Krystyna, right? You'll be sleeping with her now." Yelizaveta asked, with a sudden sadness in her voice, I looked up trying to see what she meant but she wouldn't look me in the eyes.

"Yeah...seems so," I answered "But I think I found you someone too, her name is Bathory Terezia, she's a Hungarian noblewoman who was acting as a Portuguese diplomat, she's now working as my minister of foreign affairs."

"That's nice, thank you." Yelizaveta forced a smile but I could tell that it was phony "I just can't help but stop thinking about how things could be...you know, if we weren't sisters, if we could be together."

"Liz...you know we can't do that." I sat up, answering her, I was sad too when I said it, but I had to be strong, I was the older sister.

"I know, I know...but I can't help but wonder how it would feel to kiss you." Liz admitted, her face blushing bright red as she now looked the whole different direction.

"You can kiss me if you want, one last moment before we fix everything." I replied, I closed my eyes so I didn't see what happened next, but I felt it, every inch of my body felt it when Yelizaveta's lips touched mine, a burning, electrifying passion, a passion that burned hotter that anything I've ever felt before, including the kisses I shared with Lady Krystyna. I felt Yelizaveta pull away and rush out of the room so fast that, by the time I opened my eyes, I was all alone in her bedroom, wondering what this magical kiss would mean for my future, for our future.

* * *

And that's act one!


	16. The Divine Right to Rule

Okie dokie, we've reached act two, this story has already surpassed all my expectations, it's easy to write, romance went from a secondary aspect to perhaps the bigger part of the story, particularly with the Russia plot - don't worry though, Fatimah and Helena will get their moments, particularly a big one that's coming up very soon! This, however, will be a Russia chapter, with Anastasia, Yelizaveta, Krystyna, and Terezia, the new quartet at the head of The Tsardom of Russia, each filling their niche within the new absolutist system as the lead Russia into a new era.

This shall be an era as a great power than the Europeans can no longer ignore, however, a great power with great challenges. The foremost challenge is The Ottoman Empire in the south, the Turks are larger and stronger than ever before and Sultana Helena reigns over lands in Crimea and south of the Caucasus that the Russians desire. The Turkish issue would not be so bad if they were Russia's only enemy, however, to the northwest, The Kingdom of Sweden is an Empire on the rise, under King Adolf I, the Swedes are championing the Protestant cause in The Holy Roman Empire, should Adolphus Rex realize his ambitions, he will add valuable, heavily populated estates to his realm, allowing The House of Vasa to pursue their dreams of establishing a great northern European dynasty, finally, Russia, the main contender to the title of The Third Rome would want to see the Catholic House von Habsburg weakened, they can accomplish so by supporting the Protestants against The Holy Roman Empire, but now with Catholic Poland in the Russian sphere of influence and the potential to spread Russian influence further into the Catholic world, perhaps supporting the Protestants is not ideal either. The Tsardom of Russia will have many challenges and many enemies going forward, however, should the Russians defeat their enemies and solidify their position as a great power, Russia may become unstoppable.

Without further ado, here we go with act two, The Russo-Ottoman War!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XVI.

The Divine Right to Rule.

* * *

"Tsarina Anastasia," Lady Krystyna and I turned to see a member of the Kremlin staff calling for me - I began taking Krystyna with me to Moscow recently, after all, my plans for her depend on her seeing me as a friend, a lover, and a mentor - I've also been taking Terezia and Yelizaveta with me, however, I kept "coincidentally" splitting ourselves up, having Yelizaveta show the Transylvanian woman and former diplomat of Portugal the more diplomatic aspects of Kremlin life while Krystyna was with me for the mainly administrative tasks of Russia at the moment. Moscow was currently preoccupied with my current move towards an absolutist system of government, my new architectural projects, and my reforms intend on administering and settling the new frontier regions of the Tsardom, soon enough, once everything was ready, Moscow would transition into preparing for war against The Ottoman Empire - though our troops are currently on break to work their land and harvest their crops, normally, I'd be worried about that with such a big conflict looming in the distance, however, Sultana Helena has just been at war in Arabia and her troops will be on a similar break, after all, neither of us think that there will be much opportunity to farm once The Ottoman Empire and The Tsardom of Russia went to war, two great powers of unmatched magnitudes, two great descendants of The Roman Empire, two of the greatest civilizations in all of European history will be at each other's throats and whoever wins will dominate affairs along the eastern fringe of Europe going forward, in the Balkans, in the Caucasus, and along the Black Sea. It is my duty as Tsarina of Russia to win that war, it is my duty to prove that I am worthy of being an absolute monarch blessed with the divine right to rule.

"Yes?" I asked, I'm not going to lie, I was enjoying my time alone with Krystyna, the Polish noblewoman is incredible, she's smart, she's beautiful, and she's realistic, she's better than me even if the feeling of an incestuous kiss still radiates from my lips, I know that's impossible, incestuous, and wrong, no, I have to be with Krystyna, I can be happy with her, I would rather have something with the Polish noblewoman than nothing with Liz - we were born as sisters and we'll die as sisters, never to cross those boundaries of sin ever again. My life hasn't been simple as of lately, however, my life can be simple if I'm with Krystyna, I can finally settle into a routine and live my life the best way that I can nowadays, but whenever I try to, I find myself distracted. I couldn't be mad at the Kremlin staff, they've only done their part to keep me doing what I'm supposed to be doing, they're doing their job, however, I can't help but be mad at my situation - yes I put myself into this situation by pursuing a radical new domestic policy agenda aimed at centralization and a vast increase in royal power, I still wanted that, I wanted that more than almost anything else in the world, however, I want a relationship with Lady Krystyna more, I've already grown to value her more than my own Tsardom - that's because of how much she can provide me and compliment me - her claims to Bohemia and Transylvania as well as her position and estates within The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth make her an incredibly useful asset to The Tsardom of Russia, as The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth provides a gateway for Russian influence in Moldavia and in the Baltic region, meanwhile, Bohemia allows us to influence The Holy Roman Empire - though it's questionable how valuable and effective that influence will be going forward as the Protestants and Catholics have both rejected the authority and the land rights of the other side - meanwhile, Transylvania will yield The Kingdom of Hungary and potentially The Kingdom of Naples in addition to influence over central Europe and the Balkan peninsula. The priority of a Hungarian Kingdom going forward would be to drive The Ottomans back and move the frontier battlegrounds from the southern bank of the Danube to Bosnia, Serbia, and Wallachia, a more southerly frontier that shall ensure that the Hungarian lands are never again devastated by the Turks.

"My Tsarina, an English envoy has arrived, he is waiting in the throne room." The staff member explained before bowing, I glanced at Lady Krystyna and nodded at her before the two of us made our way over to the throne room. The grounds of the Kremlin were old and crammed with buildings of different ages and different purposes, built with with different styles to produce a massive juxtaposition within this little fortification within the Russian capital, that would not be the case in my new White Square across Moscow from here, a new estate that will be titanic, modern, and incredibly marvelous, a testament to the new and improved Tsardom of Russia that I intend to build, a successor of Rome but a successor that shall strive not to make the same mistakes, those mistakes included rulers who were arbitrary and easily distracted, I will not be arbitrary and easily distracted, therefore, as much as I want to be with Lady Krystyna here and now, I will let it wait, this is not only serving the Tsardom but it's serving the both of us, allowing me to be the mentor figure I need to be, both to teach her and to further my interests in central and eastern Europe going forward as a great power.

As for the English, this was somewhat intriguing, now, of all the western European powers, Russia is probably closest to England due to The Muscovite Trade Company, an English company with a monopoly on trade between the two realms - there is a similar arrangement with the Dutch, however, the Dutch are at war with the Spanish at the moment over authority over the low countries, therefore, at the moment, the English deal is a much bigger arrangement than the Dutch one, however, that did not mean I was expecting an English envoy, in fact, actual meetings with the English were rare given that trade took place up in Arkhangelsk while I was preoccupied with ruling in Moscow and living at Kolomenskoye on the outskirts of the city. I entered the throne room I was currently using and took my seat, Lady Krystyna stood next to my on my right - the Muscovite court deciphered my plans for Krystyna quite quickly, they understood that, while Poland was now a protectorate of The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would not truly be mine until I install a friendly ruler who is willing to work with Russia to benefit the both of us, hence, the fact that I took Krystyna on as - essentially - an apprentice has won some murmurs of approval from the courtiers here in Moscow. Now I intended for Krystyna to be more than just an apprentice, I wanted her as a lover, I wanted her to fill a Yelizaveta shaped void in my heart, and I also did want her for the eventual political benefits of spreading Russian influence, the whole package was perfect - had I been braver, or had the world been more receptive to homosexuality, I may have even asked her to sit down next to me in the throne reserved for the monarch's spouse and consort, in my case, it's supposed to be a husband. Thankfully, I had the convenient excuse of avoiding marriage so that I could hold all the royal authority myself - a husband could get the idea in his head that he could be the real ruler of The Tsardom of Russia while I was just a figurehead, a tool for putting his dynasty on the Russian throne, however, with Sofiya, the third daughter of a Tsar, the standards are different, she doesn't have the same expectations with marriage, thus, rather than royalty, nobility would be sufficient for Sophie, a noble husband would allow her children to remain a part of the royal House Rurikovich, of course, by the time anyone realized that Sofiya's children would be the next generation of Russian rulers, no one will be able to stop us.

"The Tsarina of Russia sits before you, blessed with the divine right to rule, unhindered by a Parliament of petty nobles, and proven in battle against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I give you permission to speak, representative of England, I trust that this meeting will be a good use of my time." I gave the English envoy permission with a gentle warning not to waste my time - I wasn't too much of a fan of royal formality, I was concerned with getting things done, however, I recognized that, if I want to be an absolute monarch, if I want to claim that my family was chosen by God to rule the Tsardom of Russia, then I need to appear larger than life - hence I always present myself as the beautiful blue-eyed blonde Tsarina with smooth, unblemished skin, perfect hair, and always wrapped in an incredible and lavish court dress. I appeared larger than life, I appeared almost angelic, and I worked hard to accomplish that, however, appearances didn't mean much if I didn't present my personality the same way - sure I could be the real me in private, but in public, I had to act like an angelic egomaniac. Absolute power was something that I wanted because I legitimately felt that, with my rule and my rule alone, the Tsardom of Russia would be better than it would be with the influence of the nobility and the clergy, additionally, I felt that a bureaucracy made up of the talented members of the bourgeoisie would be more effective way of administering the Tsardom of Russia, a massive and powerful realm, a realm that belongs to me and me alone, but in order to have that, I need to play into a center amount of arrogance - I can't very well be humble and yet also claim that I am chosen by God himself to rule a country despite being a nineteen year old girl.

"Thank you, my Tsarina, I congratulate you on your success in Poland and I am honored to meet you, my name is William Yveson, third son of Edward Yveson, a major stakeholder in the Muscovite Company, I will inherit some shares from my father, not as much as my elder brothers, mind you, but shares nonetheless, however, I have noticed that you've made new acquisitions along the Black Sea. If your excellence would allow it, I have already gotten permission from the crown to trade those future shares in the Muscovite Company to the crown in exchange for permission to open up a Black Sea branch, ran by me, operating out of Ochakiv, Novorossiysk, and any other Russian ports on the Black Sea. This new avenue of trade between our Empires will prove even greater than our relations in the White Sea, tapping into the great trade networks of the Mediterranean Sea." Yveson proposed, I wasn't too surprised by this offer, the Yvesons are a prominent bourgeoisie family in England and they operated heavily in Russian trade, forming a niche for themselves, this niche will mainly be transferred to the eldest son as succession laws dictate, hence, it's hardly a surprise that the third son of such a gentry merchant would try and carve out a new niche for himself.

I narrowed my eyes at William Yveson, daring the Englishman to break in front of me, I understood why we wanted to make himself rich, but did the English really think that my Tsardom couldn't handle trade in the Black Sea? The English were necessary in the White Sea because we controlled the entire coastline and thus we needed to trade with external powers there, but in the Black Sea, a sea which opens up to the Mediterranean, there are many, many, many powers that I could trade with, Venetians, Genoese, Spanish, all kinds of nations, I could even trade with The Ottoman Empire - of course trade with The Ottomans is dependent on the two of us being at peace with one another and, admittedly, the semi-independence of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth complicates matters - what happens if I want to trade with Sultana Helena but Lady Krystyna wants to wage war with The Ottomans over Hungary? I know that this will occur sooner rather than later, after all, the reason why I want Krystyna on the Polish throne is that her claims will push our interests well beyond the traditional borders of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, including into the former Lands of The Hungarian Crown, that will mean that the Poles under Krystyna will fight to push The Ottomans all the way back from the southern bank of the Danube to south of Belgrade and along the Adriatic all the way down to Dubrovnik - the former center of the Latin Republic of Ragusa, one of many states wiped off of the map by Ottoman expansion.

I did not pity Sultana Helena and The Ottoman Empire, I'm sure she knew about my plans to attack her, everyone seemed to know by now - even William Yveson implied I would soon own many, many more ports on the Black Sea and he's the third son of an English trader only loosely affiliated with Russia - and all of the European powers were waiting to take advantage of a weakened, defeated Turk, I'm sure the Habsburgs will try to free up armies from the fight against Protestants to beat Krystyna to the Hungarian lands - I wouldn't bet on the Austrians, Krystyna is a powerful and ambitious woman and she will not let the so-called Holy Roman Emperor beat her, additionally, I'll send Russian troops to reinforce her armies whenever I can spare them - and even some of the Protestant generals marching around The Holy Roman Empire will have a hard time denying their troops and especially their mercenaries from the chance of pillaging Ottoman lands with the Turks either preoccupied with a war against my mighty Russian state or left scarred and defeated by said war. The Ottoman Empire will suffer and my war against them will only be the beginning, perhaps she and her Grand Vizier will be able to bounce back, but I wouldn't want to be in their position. Tangentially related, I shall not hire a first minister - the closest equivalent to a Grand Vizier in the modern European world - because a first minister, much like a husband, would give my political rivals a figure to give real power to at my expense, I cannot allow that, I want to be an absolutist ruler and that means that I will not share authority with anyone except my sister and heiress Yelizaveta. I aim to preserve absolutist rule in Russia with a slow transfer of power and a seamless transition from my rule to Liz's rule, however, I obviously can't predict when I'm going to die, in fact, I can't even guarantee that Yelizaveta would outlive me, nevertheless, I fully expect that ruling the Tsardom of Russia all on my own from age nineteen onward will eventually take a toll on me, I am one hundred percent aware that this will be quite a challenge, however, it is a challenge I was born to take, a challenge I was chosen to take by a power greater than anything, a challenge worthy of the Princess of the Resurrection of Moscow. My birth at the lowest point of the Tsardom of Russia and the resulting comeback, the fact that we pushed the Poles and the Lithuanians away from Moscow and actually ended up gaining land in that war cannot be a coincidence, nor is the fact that I would go on and crush The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, this is destiny, I was born to rule and I will make sure that all my subjects learn that, they will hear that from The Russian Orthodox Church itself.

The Russian Orthodox Church would be an excellent apparatus for justifying absolutist rule to the Russian masses, however, a problem presents itself in the form of the fact that the Tsardom of Russia is a diverse realm with many, many religions - the largest of which are Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, and Judaism, but there are also unaffiliated Orthodox Christians in Byelorussia and the Ukraine that will have to be assimilated into The Russian Orthodox Church, Catholic Poles and Lithuanians along the borders, various indigenous Siberian faiths along our eastern frontier, and even the Buddhist Kalmyks in the steppes northwest of the Caspian Sea - so it will take more than just the Church. In a perfect world, I'd have all of Russia be Russian Orthodox so that I could simply rely on the Church to provide religious justification for my actions, now, that's not to say that I have a problem with minority religions in individuals, I would gladly work with an Islamic diplomat or a Jewish statesman, my problem is with minority religions among the masses because, while I seem to have been able to pacify the nobility with threats of the Turks, I have not won over the masses in the same way and the single state religion is a great way of keeping those masses in line, however, a single state religion will only get me so far considering that significant sections of the Russian population do not follow that religion. I want to grow The Russian Orthodox Church and I want to convert the religious minorities within Russia, however, that was a task for another day, today, I had to deal with William Yveson, the young English trader who wanted to carve out his own niche and create a new avenue of trade between England and Russia through the existing Muscovite Company.

"Tell me Yveson, what would be the terms of this trade agreement in the Black Sea?" I asked, he better make a good point and he better understand that the terms cannot be the same as the terms in the White Sea, not only because of the greater, more valuable, more competitive trade of the Mediterranean and its nearby bodies, but because, whether the English know it or not, I am building up my own navy in the Black Sea and, once I have a navy, once the industry is in place, my ports will have dockyards left over, dockyards that will try to justify their existence by building trade vessels, thus, soon enough, the Tsardom of Russia will have a vast merchant navy ready to tackle the Mediterranean trade network on our own, now, the English have more experience with these trade networks and the relationship between Russia and England has proved quite valuable and I'm sure that it will be even more valuable now that we will be closer to luxury markets and operate out of ports that won't even free over in the coldest of winters.

"My Tsarina, I present to you a bargain that I hope you will find fair, dare I say even generous, I will connect the Muscovite Company to England's existing operations in the Mediterranean, bringing luxury goods from Portugal and the Italian states to the shores of Russia, in exchange, I merely ask that only English ships are allowed to dock and trade in your Black Sea ports." William Yveson explained and I thought this through, this all made sense, it wasn't worth it for the English to ship goods all the way from places like Palermo and Lisbon to Arkhangelsk, but shipping things from Palermo and Lisbon to Ochakiv or anywhere on the Black Sea really was far more reasonable, far cheaper, and far more doable, however, for all this to benefit England as well as Russia, the English had to have something and that something was exclusivity in the Black Sea, they would not face any competition in my ports. I scowled, I did not like this caveat, however, as I went through his wording in my head, I realized that he only said for trading in my Black Sea ports to be exclusive, to me, that implied that, if I did the hard work of actually establishing trade relations and sailing to centers of trade, I could trade with England's enemies in Spain and France all I wanted. Why else would Yveson specify that the exclusivity was in my Black Sea ports? I was fine with this, however, fine was not enough, I couldn't settle for just fine, I wanted a victory for Russia, I knew that Yveson would not initially offer everything that he was willing to offer, that was no way to negotiate, however, if I negotiated, I could get more and I could find out how much he was willing to give, thus, I could prove myself as a shrewd and steadfast woman here.

"English ships will be allowed to dock and trade in Black Sea ports indefinitely, however, the exclusivity will only last for five years, at that point, all ships, whether they're French, Spanish, Dutch, Austrian, or otherwise will be allowed the same trade privileges as the English. Trust me, five years of exclusivity is already very generous given that I fully intend for Russia to became a trade power of her own right." I argued, William Yveson would get his deal, he would get it sooner than he expected, however, I will not be sitting around and limiting my own country for too long just because of a contract with some English family, instead, the contract is only temporary and it will not be renewed, after five years, trade in the Black Sea is under my control. In the meantime, Russian vessels will conduct plenty of trade in other Black Sea ports and in the Mediterranean, we will trade in whatever ports shall allow us, whether they be Venetian, Spanish, or even Ottoman, in fact, the shrewd part of me thinks that Russia will make a killing selling lumber, steel, and weapons to The Ottoman Empire after we defeat them in war and dwindle their resources, now, these resources may be used against me later on, therefore, I must be sure to take all the land I desire in this war so that I will not need to fight The Ottoman Empire again, the Turks don't want to be up against the full Russian arsenal right now and I wouldn't want to face Turks armed with a full Russian arsenal in the future either, hence, my goal is to win one last big war against The Ottomans before turning my attention elsewhere, particularly towards eastern expansion. Trading with the English in the White Sea is one thing, trading with the rich Mediterranean powers is a much bigger thing, but trading with China directly from a port on the Pacific? That is a game changer, English, Dutch, and Portuguese vessels sail all the way around Africa, India, and the East Indies to trade with China, I could simply sail southward or even trade southward along a land border with the Chinese - that will be a game changer. Now, getting those trade goods from these theoretical Pacific ports to the Russian heartland is another matter but they will be within our borders which is the most important aspect of trade goods because, as long as they are within my borders, those goods belong to me and me alone.

"Well if five years of your generosity is your most esteemed offer, than I graciously accept, oh thank you mighty Anastasia the Great, Tsarina of Russia, Vanquisher of the Poles and the Lithuanians, Scourge of the Turks, Mistress of the Snow, and dearest friend of The Crown of England!" Yveson bowed before me, I rolled my eyes at all the praise he was throwing at a nineteen year old girl, I could even see Krystyna trying not to giggle in the corner of my eye - I admit that some monarchs, particularly some of my fellow aspiring absolutists, would want nothing more than to be called the Great or to have random titles thrown at them like Scourge of the Turks, these same aspiring absolutists would probably be outraged by Krystyna's barely restrained amusement, however, being an absolutist does not change who I am. I am a nineteen year old girl faced with a sycophantic Englishman who just wants to use my realm as a source of wealth and I can't help but roll my eyes at his feigned gratitude, also, if I was in Krystyna's position, knowing me as intimately as she does, I would be quite amused too. Nevertheless, a few documents were signed before I dismissed Yveson, this would be a mutually beneficial relationship, he would grow rich despite being the third son of a trader and I would open up new avenues of trade for the Tsardom of Russia in the Black Sea, now, these avenues would be exclusively with the English for a period of time, however, soon enough, my Black Sea ports would be open to anyone and everyone willing to do business, it was a victory for the both of us in that aspect, he got what he wanted and I got what I wanted, yet another notch in my belt as a capable, shrewd, and powerful young ruler, yet another example of how I and the rest of The House Rurikovich have been blessed with the divine responsibility and the divine right to rule.

* * *

"Why are you talking to your sister?" My mother asked me one day as I sat on a couch in Kolomenskoye, reading through some reports from Byelorussia and the Ukraine - Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and especially Zaporizhia have taken well to Russian rule, the Cossacks in the latter region have been broken up and diluted throughout the Tsardom of Russia - much to the delight of the local farmers and peasants who will no longer see their lands trampled over by petty Cossack warlords. I am grateful for all the help the Cossacks gave us in the war, however, these Zaporizhians are an unknown quantity and, together, they might have eventually grown disloyal, this way, if they do begin to grow disloyal, it would be individuals within loyal bands of Cossacks, all answering to General Perevernykruchenko, a general who will not tolerate insubordination. The report contained nothing too surprising, the region was being assimilated quite nicely into the Tsardom of Russia and we were already beginning to feel some of the fruits of that labor, however, groundbreaking or not, I would still rather read the report than have this discussion with my mother. Liz and I were speaking to each other, but it was hollow, empty greetings and awkward nods, nothing more, we weren't truly _speaking_, not the way we used to, not since that kiss. I knew I felt incestuous feelings for my sister, Yelizaveta knew she felt incestuous feelings for me, however, feelings were one thing, that kiss was another, that kiss was downright magical, these feelings were now tangible and it was quickly becoming apparent that, despite me being with Lady Krystyna and Yelizaveta and Terezia taking the first tentative steps towards a relationship, the feelings between Liz and I weren't going away.

"It's a long story mother, one that I can't tell you, not now and not ever." I responded coldly, I was more cold that I intended to be, spitting a venom that wasn't directed at her, I wasn't mad at her, I wasn't made at anyone, I was mad at the situation, I wanted to just be normal and have a relationship with Krystyna while these damned feelings for Yelizaveta fade into nothingness but those feelings refuse to fade and, with them being there, I feel like there's a force pushing myself and Krystyna apart, I feel like I can't sleep with Krystyna until I get some closure for this whole Liz situation. I wish that I could tell my mother about this, I wish that she would let me explain everything and cry on her shoulder, asking for help, advice, anything, however, I knew that I couldn't tell her, I couldn't tell anyone, that's because I'm the bad one here, I'm the freak with incestuous feelings and I don't want my mother, fresh out of mourning, to learn that not only are her two eldest daughters gay, but those two eldest daughters are also sexually attracted to one another...I couldn't just tell that to my mother, she was in no condition that handle that anytime soon, no one was in a condition to hear that, no mother anyway.

"Anastasia!" my mother warned but I stood up and faced her, I didn't want to feel this for Yelizaveta, I didn't want to have to ignore my sister because I couldn't trust myself around her after that kiss, I didn't want my relationship with Krystyna and Yelizaveta's potential relationship with Terezia to suffer because of these damned sinful, monstrous, incestuous feelings, but here they were, tearing my life apart, tearing me apart from my own sister, and, my mother, despite meaning well, will only make is worse by pushing me, I can't tell her, she can't know. I stared down my mother, I had no clue what I was going to do now, I couldn't tell her, but standing up with an aggressive quickness and glaring at her...I couldn't do this either, my mother is one of the last people left in the world who I consider family, my grieving mother, a mother who I may scare away yet again. My expression softened and I laid down on the couch, hugging myself and sobbing softly - why did my life have to be so complicated? Why couldn't I just love Krystyna and move on from all of this? Why is it that all the puzzle pieces are in place but I still feel this way about Yelizaveta? Why does Yelizaveta feel this way about me? Why is it that I can crush The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, bring absolutist rule to the Tsardom of Russia, and challenge The Ottoman Empire for supremacy over the eastern border of Europe, however, I can't sort out my own family life? I've done the impossible, my own birth was enough to turn the tide in a war, however, right now, I feel downright powerless.

"Tell me Anastasia, please, tell me so that I can help you!" My mother pleaded with my as she sat down on the couch next to me, pulling me close and letting me sob, so sob I did, but I couldn't do anything more than that, no matter how much my mother insists that I can tell her anything, no matter how much my mother insists that everything will be okay, I know that it won't, I know that my feelings for Yelizaveta are unacceptable, I know that my mother's tolerance - well even tolerance is perhaps too strong of a word, but her lack of opposition - to my relationship with Lady Krystyna is one thing, but if she knew that not only was I a homosexual, but that I was a homosexual with feelings for my own sister...that would break her, it would break anyone. I don't know how long I sat there sobbing into her shoulder, but my mother sat there silently brushing my hair and letting me get it all out the whole way through, thus, I cried until there weren't any tears left to cry - I cried about my feelings for Yelizaveta, I cried because ruling a country is stressful, I cried because I had such an obvious relationship with Krystyna yet I wasn't invested in it, I couldn't invest in it because of these feelings for Yelizaveta, I cried because I missed my mother, and I cried because I missed my father, but at very least my mother was back now, she was here to comfort me, she was here to help me, but unfortunately, this was something that no one could help me with, this was something I was cursed to bear through with Liz and no one else. I composed myself and wiped the last of the wetness from my eyes while my mother bit her tongue, she was desperate to say something but she knew she had to hold her tongue a moment, a moment that, for me, was all too brief "Anastasia...this issue with Yelizaveta...are you worried that she won't tolerate you and Lady Krystyna?"

Oh how I wish that were true, oh how I wish that was the big issue that I got so worked up about, but it's not that, without Yelizaveta, I wouldn't know that I was a lesbian, without each other, neither of us would know about these incestuous feelings, and, deep down in my heart, I wonder that, if not for these incestuous feelings, would I have invited Krystyna with me to Moscow? After all this time, was she just a convenient solution? Is Terezia just a convenient solution to Yelizaveta's side of the problem? I love Krystyna, I know I do, I simply don't know if I love her the way I love Yelizaveta and I don't know if I'll ever be able to love the Polish noblewoman properly while these not-so-sisterly feelings exist, but is that love born out of convenience? Can love be born out of convenience? There shouldn't be this many questions and qualifiers around love, I'd be in love with Krystyna if not for my feelings for Liz and I'd be in love with Liz if she weren't my sister, neither of those sound good at all, why can't I just love someone unconditionally? Is my sexuality to blame? Am I wrong about having the divine right to rule and thus I'm being punished for it? Will I ever be able to have a normal relationship after all of this? These questions were tearing my heart and mind apart, these questions were terrorizing me because this problem is very greater than Yelizaveta having homophobic feelings, she's the one who introduced me to my own sexuality after all, if anything, it's my mother and Sofiya who are homophobic and I wouldn't even go that far. One thing I am certain of is that neither my mother, nor Sophie, nor anyone else in the world would accept it if they knew about my mutual feelings for Yelizaveta, not just because I'm royalty, but because incest is wrong whether it's between royals or between petty peasant farmers, this just isn't right, but, right or wrong, it's something that's very real and it's something that I can't seem to shake no matter how hard I try. Perhaps all this is my fault to begin with, perhaps my idiotic solution of taking the edge off of the lust by sleeping wrapped around Yelizaveta did more harm than good, perhaps all of this time, I've been my own worst enemy, a shamelessly lustful part of me sabotaging any attempt of escaping from these feelings, perhaps even by not telling my mother I'd sabotaging myself, but I couldn't take that chance, I got myself into this situation and I'll get myself out of it.

"I can't tell you mother, but I assure you, it's not that, Yelizaveta didn't do anything wrong that I wasn't equally responsible for." I replied, as truthful as I could be while remaining vague, all the while I was mentally kicking myself for that kiss with Yelizaveta, that kiss which made everything a thousand times worse by being a thousand times better than anything I've ever experienced. I suppose that it makes sense, after all, there is no greater damnation than a glimpse of heaven before being sent down into eternal suffering in the domains of Hell. I wish that everything would go back to the way it was before that night in Minsk when these feelings first came to the surface, if not that, I wish that there was at least a solution to this so I could go and have a happy life with Lady Krystyna while Yelizaveta could potentially have a happy life with Terezia if she chose to pursue the beautiful gray-eyed brunette, instead, our bodies seem intent on making the both of us wallow in our own misery, our bodies want to ruin our lives.

"Anastasia Aleksandrovna Rurikovich," my mother had quite an arsenal at her disposal, she had weapons that weren't as conventional as Russian cannons, however, they were weapons that could instill fear into an entire army of Ottoman Turks nonetheless, and, unfortunately for me, she knew just how to use that arsenal, so, when so got out her stern voice and held me by the shoulders, forcing me to look into her eyes, the temptation to tell her everything was almost overwhelming, I almost did too, I would have done it if it weren't for the voice of reason in my head reminding me that it would spell certain doom, my mother would look at me with disgust, I would be deemed mentally unfit to rule, as would Yelizaveta, not only that, but the two of us would likely never be able to see each other ever again, meanwhile, poor little Sophie would have the weight of a country she never wanted thrown on her shoulders with a war against The Ottomans on the horizon. I couldn't allow that, these feelings made me incapable of being a good sister, but being separated from Liz and leaving Sophie saddled with a responsibility like that would make me a terrible sister - for all my terrible, terrible faults, I'm better than that "I've never seen you so bothered by anything in your life, you were always too ambitious to let any obstacle get in your way, it's downright unnatural to see you this way, so if you don't tell me what's wrong right now, I'm going to go to Yelizaveta's room and I am going to ask her the exact same question."

I knew my mother wasn't bluffing, however, I didn't know how Yelizaveta would react to that, I didn't know if she'd crack under my mother's pressure or not, I almost did myself, I'm almost cracking now, however, there's also a chance that she won't crack, after all, she managed to keep her sexuality a secret for this long that I only found out about it thanks to a book that Liz refused to show me, but if I told my mother everything, there was no chance, she'd see her daughter melt away in front of her and, in the place of Anastasia the Princess of the Resurrection would be Anastasia the incestuous freak, I couldn't allow that. If my mother goes to interrogate Yelizaveta, there is a chance that we manage to get out of this with our secret intact, if I out our secret, then everything I've done in Moscow, the foundations of an absolutist state, the roles Krystyna and Terezia will play in the spread of Russian influence beyond our borders, and the new Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace in the heart of my new White Square, all of it will be for nothing because the woman behind it all was an incestuous freak and so was her heiress. I had to go for the chance, there was really no other option at this point.

Thus, half an hour later, I found myself pacing back and forth outside of Yelizaveta's room, wishing that I could hear their conversation but my mother and Liz knew I was out here listening and they knew how to whisper, still, no gasps of shock, no outbursts, no storming out of the room...that had to be a good sign, there's no way my mother would take the truth so calmly, Liz must've come up with a believable lie - this was unexpected, however, it was hardly unwelcome, I knew there was a minuscule chance of this working, but to actually see it happen almost seemed unbelievable. I heard the sound of someone getting up and dashed to a nearby chair, pretending that I had calmly been sitting the whole time. My mother opened the door and turned to face me, she had a pleasant expression on her face, I raised a quizzical eyebrow, asking all the questions that needed to be asked at once.

"Don't worry Anastasia, your sister promised me that she'll stop avoiding you and there won't be so much distance between you too anymore." My mother assured me, a deep paranoia within me thought that she had a knowing look on her face, but the logical side of me dismissed that, no mother would find out that her daughters had sexual feelings for each other with a smile, especially not my mother, especially not my mother who just lost her husband and barely approved of my relationship with Krystyna, no, the simplest answer is that Yelizaveta came up with a satisfactory lie and managed to convince my mother that it was true. Perhaps my mother's knowing look was her suspicion of the incestuous feelings but she entertained the lie because my mother didn't want to believe that her own two daughters would do that. That possibility was scary, but it made sense, despite the fact that this possibility meant that mother knew about these feelings deep down, I found it oddly relieving, it was relieving because it satisfied both my logic and my paranoia, it was imperfect, but at least this way, all three of us could pretend that there was nothing there and we could function as a normal family, along with little Sophie who is now tasked with the responsibility of mothering our heirs, along with Krystyna, the woman who is the perfect lover for me but I don't know if I can be the perfect lover for her, and finally, Terezia, a Transylvania woman with intriguing experience with The Kingdom of Portugal, including negotiating personally with Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier, she will be an incredible asset politically and, if all goes well, Terezia and Yelizaveta can find love with one another. Two sisters dating a pair of distant cousins, it seemed fitting in a way, considering these damned feelings, I saw a lot of myself in Krystyna's personality and a lot of Yelizaveta in her appearance, now, Terezia has darker hair and gray eyes, but other than that, she has many of the same physical attributes as Krystyna and her personality is at least compatible with the rest of us so far, that had to be a good sign, perhaps, if nothing else, Yelizaveta can be happy with Terezia because it'll be a taste of what it may be like to be with me and I can be with Krystyna because it'll be a taste of what it may be like to be with Yelizaveta, it would hurt her if she ever figured out the truth, but perhaps an imperfect relationship is the best I can get in this life.

"How was your pacing?" I was startled and looked up to see my mother long gone and Yelizaveta had come over to me, sitting on the leg of my chair, putting an arm around me to steady herself. Liz seemed happy too, she had a satisfied smirk on her face and she was back to teasing me as if nothing ever happened, as if that kiss never happened, as if we were just normal sisters again. I let out a sigh of relief, at this point, being normal sisters again was nothing more than a fantasy, but at this point, I was more than willing to fantasize.

"It was good, how was your interrogation? What did you tell mother to get her out of there so quickly?" I asked, getting straight to business despite the happiness, despite wanting to just tease her while she teases me, despite wanting to have fun, I had to know, I had to get the last lingering worries out of my system before I could focus on having any fun. Fun, that was growing increasingly rare, now, I like being the Tsarina of Russia and I think that, despite my young age, I'm doing a damned good job, my agenda is progressing nicely and I've already crushed one of Russia's biggest enemies - though granted, the latter was only possible because of my father's army reforms and the former was me capitalizing on the circumstances, war with The Ottoman Empire is indeed inevitable and, thanks to my father's reforms and three very competent generals, along with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth being completely unprepared with a relatively out of date army, I was a Tsarina with some very crucial victories to my name, meaning that the nobles were willing to put their trust in me, anyway, being Tsarina is something I'm good at, something I look forward to improving as, and the best possible position I could get, however, that doesn't mean it's fun, in fact, there's plenty of paperwork and plenty of entertaining people's selfish agenda - such as Yveson, though at least in that case, I managed to make a deal that would benefit Russia as well. Nor have I been having much fun when I'm back home here at Kolomenskoye, it's hard to have fun when my personal life is in tatters thanks to these feelings for Yelizaveta, but maybe, just maybe, things can get better now, maybe we can start having fun again.

"A magician never reveals her secrets." Yelizaveta smirked, whether or not we could start having fun or not, Liz was intent on having fun and she was too fun to refuse, this was how I wanted it to be, Liz and I could have mindless fun as sisters while Krystyna and I can have sweet love and passionate lust as lovers, everything would be as it should be, we wouldn't have to lie to our own mother, we wouldn't have to avoid each other, we wouldn't have to look at Krystyna and Terezia with unequal love, the both of us could enter real relationships and move on with our lives, we could do all of this if it weren't for these damned feelings preventing us from being normal and having fun like any other pair of sisters would.

"You're a magician?" I smirked with a quizzical expression on my face, making my sister giggle but despite the giggle, despite the fact that she was generally amused, she wasn't giving up, she was insistent that she was a magician. I giggled too, being a Princess wasn't enough for her, being the heiress to one of the strongest and largest countries in the whole world wasn't enough for her, she wanted to be a magician on top of that and she was convinced that she could accomplish it, finally, I decided to give in and entertain her fantasy, I would ask the question that she was just begging me to ask "Alright Yelizaveta, I bite, what exactly makes you of all people a magician?"

"Well Nastya...wouldn't you say that kiss was magical?" Yelizaveta asked, still smirking, I made eye contact with her for a long moment, a critical beat, did she really just say that? Did she really go with that after all that just happened? However, much to my relief, after that critical beat, Liz laughed. I joined in after a moment too, the two of us were laughing, the two of us were laughing off this entire situation, we were going to act as if these feelings had always been a joke, just something worth laughing over, nothing real, nothing to be concerned about. It was an entertaining fantasy, a tempting fantasy, but the truth is, Yelizaveta is a magician, that kiss was magical, that kiss could put a spell on me. I wanted to move on, I wanted to pretend and to escape this spell, but Yelizaveta was evidently still a magician in training, she figured out how to get me under her spell but she couldn't set me free now. I was evidently a witch too because I put my little sister in the same predicament, I'm supposed to be the supportive and responsible big sister, instead, I suffer from the exact same feelings as Liz and I'm just as clueless when it comes to dealing with them, but, after all this time and effort, trying to laugh it off worked better than anything else we've tried.

* * *

"Hello my Lady," I wrapped my arms around Krystyna's waist and kissed her neck as I came up behind her in an empty room, I rested my chin on her shoulder and joined her in looking down at a map of Europe. Krystyna had been looking at the most up to date map we had at Kolomenskoye, showing Byelorussia and the Ukraine as parts of the Tsardom of Russia and showing Pomerania and Bremen under Swedish occupation - the Swedish King Adolphus Rex and his heir Prince Adolf are both leading ambitious and impressive campaigns across The Holy Roman Empire, officially, they're there to help their fellow Protestants shake off their Catholic overlords, however, in actuality, it's clear that the Swedes are campaigning to grow their Kingdom and increase their own prestige, in fact, many Protestant cities under Catholic occupation were liberated and promptly looted and pillaged by the Swedes - now that's hardly unusual, the war between Protestants and Catholics in The Holy Roman Empire is rapidly deteriorating into a shameless and indiscriminate bloodbath, however, the Swedes have no stake in this war, in fact, if Protestants were pushed out of the German lands, many of them might end up going to Sweden, strengthening the Kingdom, outside powers like the Spanish at least possess lands within The Holy Roman Empire and are bound to the Austrians as both Spain and the Holy Roman Empire are held by Habsburgs. In any case, I was proud to see Krystyna educating herself on the European situation - Sigismund Augustus II was stubborn and he fought hard but he and his men were killed without inflicting enough damage to even make the mighty Russian armies blink, Jan the Prussian did better but it was too little, too late, not only that, but he made a fool of himself while negotiating The Treaty of Warsaw, after those two, I never fought I'd see The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ruled by a capable ruler ever again, however, Krystyna is already impressing me and she's not even King of Poland yet, she'll be a wonderful King and Grand Duchess when she gets the chance, I just hope that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will love her and cherish her in the way that I wish I could.

"Hello my Tsarina," Krystyna said as she turned around and sat down on the table, sitting on the map that she had been observing - neither of us really cared anyway, we would be redrawing the maps of Europe together soon enough, soon, Russia would expand at the expense of The Ottoman Empire while Krystyna transformed central, eastern, and southern Europe, turning each and every throne she could into a expression of her dynastic glory - and by going so, she and The House Wlodzislawa would be expanding and spreading Russian influence - she would be elected to the throne of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I would ensure that, and from there, with Russian support, she will pursue her claims to Bohemia and Transylvania, gaining an electorate of The Holy Roman Empire in the form of Bohemia, and, in Transylvania, she'll gain a front from which she can rebuild The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, reforming The Kingdom of Hungary and The Kingdom of Croatia, at that point, she can use her position as Queen of Hungary to recreate the Medieval union of Hungary and Naples, now, upon her death, the thrones will be split apart, just like Hungary and Naples were, however, that will still put her dynasty in control of much of the Italian peninsula. Now, this will require wars against The Ottoman Empire in Hungary, the Austrian Habsburgs in Bohemia and Hungary, and the Spanish Habsburgs in Naples, however, I am confidant that if anyone can do it, it'll be Lady Krystyna, my protege, my partner, my lover.

I kissed Krystyna sloppily, I was enjoying myself and she was enjoying it too, I pushed into her and she shitted backwards as a piece of The Ottoman Empire was ripped off the map, I grabbed it and crumpled it up before it hit the ground, I'm sure someone is mad that they have to create a whole new map now, but I hardly care, Krystyna was worth a thousand maps, especially given that the two of us would cause a thousand different changes in the European map in our time, this would be a second renaissance for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a true one this time as the Poles and Lithuanians could finally expand without always having to watch their eastern border, in exchange, they'd function as a western frontier for the Tsardom of Russia, enemies of Russia would have to go through Prague, Olomouc, Wroclaw, Krakow, and Warsaw just to reach Russia, these Bohemia, Moravian, Silesian, and Polish fortress cities would protect Russia more as vassal states than as direct parts of Russia - we gain all the benefit of the enemy being bogged down by sieging Prague without the burden of rebuilding - now, of course I am smart enough to know that the best way to keep Russian influence over Bohemia would be to help the reconstruction in every way I can, however, the fact that I can adopt a Russia first philosophy benefits my country greatly. Though Poland, Lithuanian, Bohemia, Hungary, Croatia, and Naples will be more than merely shields, under the diligent rule of Lady Krystyna and her descendants, they shall support my wars with powerful, modern armies and devotion to a unified cause - I'm certain that Krystyna is already planning on ensuring that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will never be defeated again and I'm certain that, despite our relationship, she has her countries' best interests at heart and will try to free Poland of Russian rule entirely, however, I have my country's best interests at heart and therefore I will ensure that Poland remains a Russian puppet directly and the rest of Krystyna's thrones shall be indirect puppets.

The battle for control between Krystyna and I was far from just theoretical politics, it was very real, very current, and very mundane as she pushed me back from the table, stood up, and came up to me, pinning me against the wall as her green and hazel eyes filled with unrestrained lust, hardly a moment later her lips came crashing down with love, lust, and impatience. I loved Krystyna, I loved Yelizaveta, I love Krystyna, I love Yelizaveta, I will love Krystyna, I will love Yelizaveta, perhaps it's the divine right bleeding over into my love life, perhaps I crave Krystyna because I can control the King of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuanian, perhaps I crave Yelizaveta because I can control the future Tsarina of Russia, perhaps I crave dominant women because I can dominate them, so, I love my sister and I love the Polish noblewoman, nevertheless, I've made my choice, I've made it clear that Krystyna is the only possibility of happiness, but as Krystyna shot me that look again and grabbed my hand before dragging me off to her room, I knew she wanted satisfaction, I knew that my choice would finally be permanent. Perhaps this is what will make my feelings for Yelizaveta go away, perhaps my love for Krystyna will only surpass my love for Yelizaveta when I've finally done something with Krystyna that surpasses everything I've done with Yelizaveta, even that magical kiss. In any case, I was about to find out.

* * *

Okie dokie, so, this chapter ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, however, I suppose that's good because that I want these first five chapters of act two to be three Russia chapters and two Ottoman chapters - the opposite of the last five chapters of act one - but I didn't know which perspective I would choose for chapter seventeen, but after that cliffhanger, I promise you the next update will be a Russia chapter while eighteen will be Ottoman, see you then! Ciao!

I love you all, peace out!


	17. The Slavic Goddesses

Alright, here we are with chapter seventeen, the second Russian chapter of act two and the penultimate Russian chapter of the five chapters of peace at the beginning of act two, eighteen and twenty will be Ottoman chapters while nineteen will be that final Russia chapter, I know it's a bit complicated to explain but, basically, this and nineteen will be the Russian chapters while eighteen and twenty will be Ottoman chapters. So, last chapter ended with a bit of a cliffhanger as Anastasia was about to have her first time with Lady Krystyna, well...we pick up from there.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XVII.

The Slavic Goddesses.

* * *

I pinned against the wall the second that her bedroom door was locked, my mind and my body have been all over the place, thinking about anything and everything whilst craving anything and everything, whether it be absolutist rule, the destruction of my enemies, or even my own little sister, however, at long lost, I had someone who my mind and body both craved, someone beauty, someone smart, and someone who can be an amazing resource for the Tsardom of Russia. My hands groped Krystyna's body and her hands were all over me as well, only the fabrics of our dresses denied us that which we wanted most, all the while my tongue entered her mouth and her tongue explored my own, this was absolutely blissful, I couldn't say for sure if this was better than my kiss with Yelizaveta but the reason I can't say that is because I'm not even thinking about Liz right now, I'm not thinking about anything other than this Polish noblewoman, this Polish noblewoman who I will take and who will take me, this Polish noblewoman who I shall turn into a King, I will ensure that Krystyna Wlodzislawa will be known by each and every historian from all over the world, and every time her name and her accomplishments are written in a textbook, I will know that I was the first one to see every inch of her bare, I was the first one to be with her intimately, I was the first one to have sex with her.

I will turn Lady Krystyna from a mere noblewoman to the King of Poland and the Grand Duchess of Lithuania to the most powerful woman in central Europe, all the while, she'll have been mine. I released her lips and kissed my way down her face to her neck while I used my right hand to begin pulling the sleeves of her dress off, slowly but surely beginning to expose the bountiful chest and achingly beautiful skin below, however, before any of that, I would make our relationship very clear. I bit down lightly on her neck before pressing my lips to the spot and sucking on the spot, all the while a light moan escaped from Krystyna's lips, that only egged me on further. I pulled away when I finished, admiring my work as a mark was left on Krystyna's neck marking her as mine - it was low enough that she could hide it, but I had to wonder - would she? As I observed my work, Krystyna grew bold, she leaned in close and blew hot air into my ear, making me shiver with anticipation, I was sure she was smirking, but her head was next to mine in such a way that I couldn't see her expression, however, I knew her well enough by now the predict that and, sure enough, when she spoke, I could practically hear the smirk in her voice.

"My turn." Krystyna whispered into the same ear she blew into before diving down and marking my neck as well, she was bold, very bold in fact, she marked me much higher and in a much more conspicuous place, somewhere where I couldn't easily hide it...though again, did I want to? I was proud of my relationship with Krystyna and I've love it if we could be fully public about it, though the circumstances meant that we'd have to settle for this private relationship, however, as Krystyna began guiding me towards her bed, I was certain that this was more than enough, just the fact that I get to be with someone as beautiful as Krystyna, the fact that I get to be with someone as smart as Krystyna, the fact that I get to be with someone with as much potential as Krystyna is something that most people would trade the world for, this must be enough for me, this is the only relationship I could legitimately have with someone I consider my equal, Krystyna will be my lover and Yelizaveta will be my sister, it's perfect, it's what I said I always wanted, and, as Krystyna laid down on the bed and I came over her, straddling her, Yelizaveta disappeared from my mind once again, it was only me and Krystyna, the daughters of Lech and Rus, the new Slavic goddesses.

Krystyna and I kissed once again before I broke contact, she was marked, I was marked, and it was time we made it official, it was time we put some meaning behind this hickeys. I pulled the other sleeve of Krystyna's dress down and pulled her close to me so I could pull the dress off her body, she took the opportunity to start kissing and biting at my neck once again but remained attentive enough rise up so I could get the dress out from around her ample behind, letting my hands brush against the now bare skin before finally get the last of the fabric off of her, throwing it to the side without a care in the world - I could have every serf in all of Russia working on making Krystyna a new dress if I wanted to, it was worthless to me, nothing but an obstruction keeping me from something beautiful. Beautiful, sexy, godly, all of these were words that I could attach to Krystyna's amazing body, however, none of those did it any justice, in fact, as I backed away and surveyed my work, I was practically drooling - Krystyna was stunningly beautiful.

Her little toes curled with anticipation at the tip of her tiny pale feet attached to her long and flawless ivory legs, smooth over than the goosebumps popping up all over her body from a combination of the cold and her own anticipation, my eyes kept going further and further up to her perfect thighs and wide hips surrounding the gentle blonde tuft of hair crowning the soft, throbbing, pink lips slick with wetness, I licked my lips with hunger before tearing my eyes away for only a moment, her hips narrowed to a tight waist marked dotted with a small outie belly button, above her flat stomach were the two breasts surrounded the pink nipples, standing fully erect just waiting for stimulus...I would be sure to stimulate both. Her arms were spread out, gripping the mattress already, she wanted to offer up her whole body to me but her own lust meant that she could barely keep her arms off of me or herself. All the way from the middle of her chest up to her face Krystyna was blushing bright red, but the blush was not enough to hide my mark, nothing would ever be enough to hide the fact that Krystyna was mine. She bit her lip to keep from yelling out but her mismatched eyes told all the story, Krystyna was pleading with me, she wanted this and she wanted it now. I chuckled, who was I to deny the future King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania? Tsarina or not, I had to provide and I was glad to do it.

I practically tore my dress off and tossed it God knows where before once again climbing over Krystyna and straddling her, the heat coming off of her was practically radiant but that didn't stop me, in fact, it only attracted me more. I began kissing and touching my way down Krystyna's bare body as a growing chorus of moans erupted from her lips, each one practically made my body shake with utter pleasure. I blew hot breath onto Krystyna's breasts before I began licking, biting, and sucking on her nipples, this was absolutely thrilling. I didn't know what I was doing other than what felt natural and, so far, the reaction was perfect, Krystyna was loud, pleased, and incredibly horny, however, there was plenty of work left to do, I had to put my Polish King over the moon. Thus, I began with a slow trail of kisses down from Krystyna's breasts to her core, I kissed her on the belly button, I kissed her on the tuft of blonde hair, I kissed her every inch of her leading downwards to my unholy destination, I was thrilled with it too as every inch brought me closer to the radiant heat of the sun, every inch made the Polish noblewoman plead that the next one would be the last, but with every inch I reminded her that she would be King of Poland but I was the Tsarina of Russia, I held the power over Poland and I held the power over her, I would please her at my own pace.

"Anastasia...please." Krystyna pleaded as I left one kiss and one light bite on the inside of both of her thighs before I looked up at those green and hazel eyes looking down on me from in between those two beautiful breasts I just paid so much attention to, I shot her a nod because I wasn't sure if I could even muster any words at this stage, my core was soaked with the same anticipation and my stomach was tied into numerous knots as I hoped I could do this right. I took in a deep breath, filling myself with the warm and heavy yet pleasant smell of Krystyna in her purest form, I licked my lips before taking the plunge. The bittersweet taste was admittedly unusual but not off putting, as I licked around I could taste a hint of a metallic flavor here and there and even something salty, all of this came together to form a rather strange flavor, but I wanted more and more of it - fortunately for me, so did Lady Krystyna, in fact she pleaded for more and more and I increased my tempo, letting her moans crescendo as I licked and licked at the wet folds until finally I sent her over the moon, her grip on my sheets turned into a white-knuckle death grip, her back arched, and her whole body tensed with near explosive pleasure, however, I stuck with her all the way until she came back down to earth, feeling her muscles tense before finally releasing as the Polish noblewoman melted into a puddle of pleasure, finally, at the end of this, Krystyna took a shake breath before finally managing to muster two simple words "Oh kurwa..."

I giggled at her vulgarity as I laid down neck to her, putting my arm over her stomach as she panted heavily, I enjoyed feeling the rise and fall of her bare, hot skin, I smiled to myself, I did a good job bringing Krystyna to the moon, but this was just the beginning, now, she needed to bring me up to the moon so that I could send her to the stars, I had plenty left in me and, even though I could tell that the Polish noblewoman was exhausted in the best way possible, I knew she had something left in her as well. That was confirmed when she finally got up and climbed over my own bare body. Those two mismatched eyes stared down at me with a lock that sent shivers down my spine, once again, I devoured Krystyna with my eyes, starting from the blonde tuft I just worked over up her flat stomach, over those wonderful breasts, past my mark, past those green and hazel eyes, and all the way up to the blonde hair that I desperately wanted to see between my legs, however, I was slow with her and I was sure that she would be just as agonizingly slow with me.

Thus the kisses began, thus the playing with my nipples began, and thus the painfully slow trail of kisses down began, however, I let out a shaky breath as she kissed my blonde pubic hair, her green and hazel eyes looked into my blue eyes and I simply nodded, I was more than ready for this, I had been waiting for this for way too long. I gripped Krystyna's hair as the blonde Polish noblewoman began licking at my clitoris while her fingers inserted into me from below. I let out a cacophony of moans in response and bucked my hips in rhythm with her tongue and her fingers as I rode the two long, slender fingers inside my slick, wet folds...I can't wait to give Krystyna the same treatment in just a few moments that would feel like blissful eternity. The combined onslaught of her tongue and her finger brought me over the edge and I joined Krystyna over the moon, feeling my body tense up, release, and sink into bliss as an orgasm came over me - it's happened before, I have masturbated, but nothing compares to the real thing, nothing, not even that blissful kiss, compares to what I've just done with Lady Krystyna, discarding my innocence and confirming my homosexuality once and for all.

"Oy blyat..." I was just as vulgar as Krystyna when it all came down to it but none of that mattered, in fact, it was fitting that the daughter of Lech would cuss in Polish while the daughter of Rus would cuss in Russian, we were the new Slavic goddesses after all, Krystyna who would use The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as a catalyst for the expansion of her dynasty all over central, eastern, and southern Europe, bring the Poles into a new golden age that most would assume was unthinkable as a result of Russia's terrible defeat of the Commonwealth, meanwhile, I would expand Russia at the expense of The Ottoman Empire and use Krystyna's conquests as a vehicle for expanding Russian influence into the Catholic domains of Europe because, finally, the interests of Russia and the interests of Poland were intertwined, why? Because the current Tsarina was intertwined with the future King of Poland, and intertwined we would be again as we began another round of each other's ecstasy, continuing a long night of sex and endless pleasure. All night long we exchanged moans, vulgarities, and orgasms before Krystyna finally collapsed with exhaustion, I giggled before covering the both of us in our less than clean sheets and tangling our naked bodies in with each other. I've spent a few minutes in a similar state with Yelizaveta but this is so much better, this is better because I could finally enjoy it.

* * *

"The first ships have been completed at Ochakiv and construction is going well in Sochi and the rest of coastal Circassia, additionally, the first English trade ships have arrived in the Black Sea, evidently without incident, and the Portuguese have confirmed their naval commitment to the Black Sea campaign, we'll be ready for war soon enough." Bathory Terezia, the Transylvania noblewoman of Hungarian ancestry who once served the Portuguese crown and relative to the captivating Lady Krystyna explained - Terezia was getting quite good at her job and I liked working with her to the point where her position has grown beyond an economic one, she has taken it upon herself to observe military reports on my behalf - now I still look at the vast majority of my reports myself, after all, a Tsarina can't be dependent on anyone, especially not a Tsarina that craves absolute power - however, right now, I was much too happy for mere business. Krystyna and I were electric with one another, every night and quite a few mornings we were with each other in the most intimate of ways and every time it was just as fantastic as the first time, it was perfect, I think at this point I can say for sure that I have more of a libido than Krystyna and I can almost always outlast her, but even that is not enough to make our love anything less than perfect, so perfect in fact that Yelizaveta and Terezia deserve to experience this as well. I must get to work with setting these two together, the talented Hungarian noblewoman and the future Tsarina of Russia, an excellent pairing to complement the beautiful Polish noblewoman and the current Tsarina, the four greatest women in Europe together and last, three Slavic Goddesses and our Magyar Olympian.

Now of course the situation is more complicated than that, Krystyna at very least has Bohemian and Hungarian ties as well as Polish ones and, quite frankly, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if she had some German in her, the German Houses are a common source of marriage partners, such is the reason that the Habsburgs grew their Duchy on the border of the Empire into a mighty Archduchy ruled by a man who is practically guaranteed to be crowned Emperor. Additionally, Yelizaveta and I have a Georgian mother and we know for certain that our predecessors and ancestors have married into Polish, German, and even Byzantine royal families, as well as the fact that, ultimately, The House Rurikovich is descended from Medieval Swedish settlers in the Rus, finally, Terezia is a Hungarian from a Principality populated by Romanians yet she served the King of Portugal, adding another layer of diversity to our quartet, and diverse we should be, after all, between the four of us, we'll carve up massive chunks of Europe, particularly if doing so will hurt Russia and Poland's common enemies in the form of The Kingdom of Sweden, The Holy Roman Empire, and, most of all, the dreaded Ottoman Empire. I've made my desires to defeat and push back the Turks abundantly clear but, beyond that, I would actually prefer to maintain good relations with The Ottoman Empire so as to protect my southern flank while fighting the Swedes or the Germans in the north or the west, however, Lady Krystyna does not have that same luxury as her mission to recreate the Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen will inevitably bring her into conflict with The Ottomans over Hungary, Croatia, and the critical border fortress of Belgrade - Belgrade can act as a shield for the southern end of Hungary once again, however, without it, The Ottomans will always have a Serbian dagger placed at the heart of Hungary and even the Danube itself. The Ottomans have pushed far too deep into Europe as it is, I cannot believe that the Habsburgs allowed the Turks so deep into Hungary, that is why they are no longer worthy of the title of Kings of Hungary, nor are the Bathory really, perhaps someone like Terezia could do better, but the Bathory in power have accomplished even less than the Habsburgs and have paid the Turks tribute many times over, but Krystyna...Krystyna will move heaven and earth to realize her dreams, that I am absolutely certain of, therefore, I will, from the shadows, support her in her eventual conquests deep into Hungary and Croatia, reforming the long lost Medieval crown.

Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, and Naples, four crowns can be joined with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and brought into a grand Russian circle of influence encompassing much of eastern, central, and southern Europe, here, I will create permanent allies and permanently secure the eastern border, allowing me and Yelizaveta to fully focus on expanding Russia east into Siberia, south into central Asia, and northwest along the Baltic, once I am finished with the Turks, I intend to focus on the Horde remnants of the Mongol Empire in the south and east along with our rising rival, The Kingdom of Sweden, along with these current and former major powers, I intend to scoop up a number of smaller powers such as The Livonian Order in the Baltic and our allies The Kingdom of Georgia south of the Caucasus. I brought Ruthenia, Byelorussia, and Zaporizhia into my Tsardom of Russia, however, the most important part of The Treaty of Warsaw for Russia going forward may be our new relationship with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Krystyna is key to that - I cannot trust Jan the Prussian, he is a defeated man from a very militaristic subculture of Germans, his honor makes his predisposed towards eventually rising up against Russian rule and his logic can only hold him back through so long, but Krystyna will actually benefit from Russian influence over Poland as the Polish and Lithuanian nobles rejected her in favor of Jan the Prussian during the war and, now, after the war, I will ensure that she wins the next election, that, along with our love and memories of our time together, will ensure friendship between Russia and Poland - though I have no doubt that Krystyna or her successors would not react well if I, Yelizaveta, or our successors would treat Poland as anything less than a full fledged all, I know well that, in this case, a massively powerful ally is more important than a fully subservient subject - making The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth nothing more than a glorified vassal will never bring Russian influence as far away as Naples, however, Krystyna at her full potential with Russian aid rather than restrictions can and will spread Russian influence to places as far away as Naples and perhaps beyond.

Terezia will assist in that, having her, a relative and friend of Krystyna, as my minister of diplomacy means that Krystyna's contacts in Russia will either be myself - her first lover, Terezia - her flesh and blood as well as a trusted friend, or someone that the both of us vetted and approved before trusting with such an important task, there will be no diplomatic faux pas, there will be no misunderstanding, there will be no miscommunication, not with Krystyna's Poland, not with Georgia, or not with any other country that Russia shall share delicate diplomacy with, Terezia will ensure that. Now, my desire to see Liz and Terezia together is not politically motivated, however, the shrewd political component within me cannot help but note that tying Terezia to Yelizaveta will forever ensure her loyalty - not that I doubt her loyalty to begin with, but I cannot claim the divine right to rule without understanding that I, perhaps more so than other rulers, have a target on my back and I will have to suffer through revolts, assassination attempts, and betrayals - after all, Terezia is hardly the kind of woman who would want to harm her lover's sister, but I personally see that as nothing more than a bonus and more than likely an unnecessary bonus, the fact is, I want Terezia and Yelizaveta together for two reasons, one: because I believe that they're both smart, beautiful, and ambitious young women who will be happy together and two: because, deep down, I hope that seeing Yelizaveta in love is what will finally kill these feelings that have been tormenting me ever since that night in Minsk, feelings that only Krystyna can quell, hopefully, Terezia can do the same for Yelizaveta and hopefully that will be enough to smother any notions of incest once and for all.

"I do wonder Terezia," I began, seeing no other way of going about this than through a line of inquiry, the Transylvanian noblewoman was quick to notice the casual tone and shifted her focus away from the reports - I could always check those later - and settled down into a much less businesslike attitude, I have a feeling that Terezia is a lot more comfortable here than she ever was in Portugal, sure her father may have had a good relationship with their crown but Terezia was only offered a chance when Sultana Helena, rather arbitrarily, decided to negotiate the end of a war over Arabia in Tunis of all places, here, she has found a welcoming Tsarina, her own cousin, and now wields significant diplomatic power, once I set her up with Yelizaveta that will be the icing on the cake, that will be what guarantees her happiness and her service to the Tsardom of Russia "Krystyna told me that you were the first person she told of...her persuasion, I only realized my own through conversations with my sister Yelizaveta - who already had discovered her own sexuality - and a certain amount of...self-exploration, do tell, are you of the same persuasion as Lady Krystyna and I or are you of the more conventional school?"

"Well, quite frankly, I don't know, however...I do admit that I find your persuasion rather fascinating, perhaps more than a more conventional woman would." Terezia replied, she did well to stick to our code, we were alone in this particular room at Kolomenskoye but there's no telling when someone could enter - I learned that the hard way with Terezia and Sofiya last time - or eavesdrop on a conversation, therefore, I've kept our correspondence just vague enough that we both understood that we were talking about sexual orientation, however, we had plausible deniability should anyone over hear, in any case, her answer itself intrigued me. The most intriguing part is that it was not unlike my own when Yelizaveta asked me the same question, I legitimately didn't know my own sexuality, I hadn't even considered homosexuality a possibility until I found out that my own little sister was gay, I imagined that Terezia was in a similar position when she learned of Krystyna's sexuality, however, given that Krystyna was in Poland and Terezia was in Portugal, I very much doubt that they were able to discuss this in such a detailed and personal way as Yelizaveta and I did, perhaps I now had to steer Terezia towards her own realization and that would unlock the possibility of setting up the Transylvanian noblewoman with my amazing little sister Yelizaveta.

"Have you ever...pondered on women in an intimate way?" I whispered in the most delicate wording possible but it's still quite obvious, quite frankly, there isn't exactly a subtle way to ask someone if they've ever masturbated to homosexual thoughts, but perhaps I was quiet enough and perhaps my wording was just vague enough that, unless someone is listening intently, nothing will jump out at them. The personal exploration is what confirmed my sexuality after that conversation with Yelizaveta, perhaps the same thing would work for Terezia, perhaps she's already tried and the results were inconclusive, I didn't know, however, at this point, I'm pretty confidant in saying that Bathory Terezia is sexually attracted to women, if not outright lesbian, therefore, I believe that, sooner rather than later, I will succeed in setting her up with Yelizaveta, I'm sure that my little sister will go along with it, Terezia is a beautiful young woman, smart, and a workaholic when it comes to diplomacy, hopefully Liz will see a lot of what she likes in me in Terezia and, once that's done, hopefully all of us will be able to move on with our lives, hopefully all of us will be paired up and happy, free from any incestuous thoughts or other ruinous feelings. We will be a relatively normal family, a family of the most powerful women in all of Europe, all born into infinite privilege and who will all die in even greater privilege, but a normal family nonetheless.

"No...not yet." Terezia admitted "Portugal is a very religious place and my father and I were always perceived as nobles from a faraway land at best and complete outsiders at worst, so they kept us in a wing of the palace with quarters for diplomats instead of grand bed chambers with dedicated bathing and dressing rooms, I had a bedroom with thin walls sandwiched between my father's bedroom and some old leering Frenchman, needless to say, this wasn't exactly an environment that was conducive towards self-exploration."

I understood her explanation, if I was stuck between a French creep and my own father with only walls meant for a diplomat in between, I wouldn't want to masturbate either - on a somewhat unrelated, I was pleased to learn that I've treated Terezia better thus far than the Portuguese did, she has a bedroom just as big and just as fine as the one I gave to Lady Krystyna - the very bedroom that I lost my virginity - and I will be sure that she gets a bedroom just as large and just as grand as my own within my new Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, as will Krystyna, as will numerous other men and women who have proven their dedication to the Tsardom of Russia, hell, even the minor nobles will be rewarded with bedrooms that put the ones here at Kolomenskoye to shame - after all, I had to attract my nobles to Moscow so that I could pull apart the aristocracy from the actual land and the actual power, thus, what better way to attract them than infinite luxury? I will give nobles luxurious bedrooms and allow them to own more Serfs, in exchange, I want more power, more taxes, and less gridlock. Serfs were a controversial issue for me, now, peasants have been tied to land in Russia for time immemorial, however, I do acknowledge that their conditions are brutal and I'm sure that many Serfs could prove to be excellent government officials, however, the Serfs are used as hard labor for government programs such as building roads and improving cities, not to mention that Serfs are drafted into the army for war, I want to develop southern Russia, I want to settle Siberia, and I want to incorporate Byelorussia and the Ukraine into the Tsardom of Russia, all of that requires a healthy peasant work force, additionally, I want to take huge swathes of land from The Ottomans, from the Siberian and Central Asian Khanates, and from the likes of Sweden, all of that requires peasant troops alongside our professionals and our Cossacks, therefore, even if I personally am uncomfortable with the practice of Serfdom, I acknowledge that I need to depend on it to further my own interests as well as the interests of the Russian state, as well as the fact that I've just established myself as an absolute monarch thanks to putting the fear of the Turks into the nobles, I've gotten this far, I don't want to press my luck by trying to take away their Serf labor next, that would surely result in one uprising or another.

"Well...I can assure you that you have nothing to worry about here, should you wish to explore yourself within the privacy of your own chambers, Kolomenskoye will provide. Should there be anything you need, feel free to ask me...or maybe even Yelizaveta, I'm sure my little sister would love to help you." I left Terezia with plenty of information to ponder and a hint about my intentions to set her up with Yelizaveta, on the relationship front, I will give her a few nights to explore herself and figure our her feelings and her sexuality before setting up Yelizaveta's half of the relationship, after that, it will simply be a matter of getting the two of them together at the same time and the same place. In the meantime, I grabbed Terezia's reports so that I could read them in greater detail - I have no doubt that the Tsardom of Russia will be prepared for war when it becomes time to declare war on The Ottoman Empire, however, there are a few more things I want to accomplish in Moscow while I have the opportunity - I have brought the nobles to heel by uniting them against a common Ottoman nemesis, I have laid the foundations for Russian trade in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean thanks to my trade deal with William Yveson, and I've laid out claims for my new White Square in Moscow including the Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace as well as the Aleksander Citadel and the Maria Davidovna Building, the latter of which will house the bureaucrats in charge of Russian expansion in Siberia, however, I haven't actually spoken with any of those bureaucrats or expanded their duties yet, that is what I intend to do as I journey to Moscow once again to continue my duties as a young and ambitious absolutist monarch.

* * *

"My Tsarina," Andrea bowed while his colleague Camillo attempted to kiss my hand - a gesture I did not appreciate and one that I actually found rather disgusting, coming from him anyway - the Italian architects have already found the perfect spot for my White Square and they're having the land cleared for construction, a very pleasing and very timely development, I have no delusions that my grand architectural marvels will be complete by the time I defeat the Turks but I'd love to at least be able to return to an operational throne room at my wonderful Palace, I'd love for Yelizaveta and I to be welcomed like goddesses after our great victory, welcomed like goddess in the wonderful palace built by my decree and named for the both of us, the current and future Tsarinas of Russia, the current and future most powerful women in the world. Of course, we will not be alone, Krystyna will be there, the Polish King I forged out of a mere Mazovian noblewoman and Terezia will be there, a woman who will achieve great things, great things which the Portuguese will surely miss, as well as Sofiya, the third sister and the one tasked with giving birth to the successors of a pair of goddesses...admittedly, there are easier jobs in the world. My mother will be there for my return, of course, the Georgian Princess turned Tsaritsa of Russia would not miss yet another one of her daughter's great victories, not being there for the beginning of my rule was already an inexcusable absence in her eyes, she would not allow herself to be absent ever again.

"Andrea, Camillo," I greeted the eccentric pair of Italian architects before they returned to their business, I admittedly was spending a lot of time at Kolomenskoye rather than Moscow, perhaps more time away from the capital than an absolutist ruler should, however, I'm already working hard to rectify it, in fact, Camillo and Andrea are the ones who will let me accomplish this as these Italian architects are the ones who are tasked with turning my great White Square and my great Palace into a reality, after all, Red Square and the Kremlin was in no way fitting for a ruler with ambitious as great as my own, only a palace that puts all of western Europe to shame will suffice for the Tsardom of Russia. As many materials as possible were gathered in Russia but I wanted the Palace to be amazing and I wanted the Palace to be lavish, therefore, the most luxurious elements of the Italian Baroque style were imported from the Italian states themselves, as they should be, after all, we were paying for this with Polish and Lithuanian war debt - war debt that included the income of provinces which we now own, such a victory we achieved over them - in any case, the materials, both local and imported, would be put together into a perfect Palace and a perfect Square thanks to Camillo, Andrea, their junior architects, Italian and French artisans, and a massive workforce of Russian serfs doing all the hard labor necessary - these particularly serfs were, for the most part, direct state property, however, should it be necessary, I am willing to call upon other Serfs to work on this Palace as a substitute for working on roads and other infrastructure like they do as one of their major responsibilities to the Tsardom of Russia. I was not much of a fan of Serfdom, I made that clear already, however, this is the work force that Russia provides me and I will not let that get in the way of my fabulous Palace, nothing will get in the way of this tangible testament to the ever-growing absolutism in Russia, a literal monument to the centralization and reforms made possible by my father's military victories and reforms that lead to me crushing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as an enemy and arguably bringing Russia into a new golden age of wealth, prosperity, and security.

A realm of wealth, prosperity, and security, and a growing one at that, therefore, I continued past the architects and proceeded to meet with the man currently responsible for our colonization of Siberia, a minor noble descended from former Cossacks named Vasily Dmitriyev - if he is fit for the job and is willing and able to accept the vastly increased responsibilities of the position, he can keep his role as he is molded into my Minister of Settlement and Expansion, if he is not, then I will not hesitate to replace him with a man or indeed a woman who is able to replace him, noble, bureaucrat, or anything in between - I felt this was quite fair, after all, I was giving the man a chance even if his office was effectively being completely transformed from a minor operation in places not far beyond the Ural Mountains to a major arm of the Russian government intent on reaching the Pacific as soon as possible, all the while settling Siberia, settling southern Russia, and, eventually, settling central Asia as well. Settlement and expansion are very real and very large goals of mine and I intend for this office to represent that, thus, I entered my office in the Kremlin and, after a moment to settle myself and another because I'm the bloody Tsarina of Russia and I'll take a minute before speaking with a minor noble if I damn well please, I invited Dmitriyev into my office so that he could evaluate himself and, more importantly, I could evaluate him.

"Lord Vasily," I greeted the noble as I began his interrogation, now, I will be upfront and admit that I am unsatisfied with the rate of colonization of Siberia, however, I do admit that I haven't talked with Vasily yet and I don't fully understand the situation, perhaps Dmitriyev would gladly increase his efforts if he had more funds and more resources at his disposal, I didn't know, but I was going to find out, I would find out from him, I'd find out from my previous knowledge, and I'd find out from the official records - I would not be lied to, if Dmitriyev tries that, he's done regardless of his credentials, I'd rather have someone inexperienced and honest than someone who would lie to my face, that's simply a necessity - first of all, if I can't trust them to be honest with me, how can I trust them with the money and resources necessary for setting up towns, fortresses, and frontier battalions, second of all, if the nobles get it into their heads that they could get away with lying, who knows what they would try next - nobles are like little children, give them an inch and they would demand a mile, that is why they cannot have power. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is an example of nobility runamuck, the King of Poland and Hungary, Wladyslaw IV died fighting the Turks at Varna and the Polish nobles gave themselves privileges including the power of electing the King of Poland and the Veto in exchange for giving the throne to Wladyslaw's brother the Grand Duke of Lithuania, now, Poland went from a Catholic dynast of the Swedish Protestant Vasa in the form of Sigismund Augustus II to a Prussian of a minor noble House who converted to Catholicism in the form of Jan von Konigsberg, and after him, Poland and Lithuania will go to a Polish Catholic noblewoman with Hungarian and Bohemian ties in the form of Krystyna Wlodzislawa, there is no continuity, there is no stability, and every dynasty is cut down before they can truly established hegemony over The Kingdom of Poland and The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, hopefully Krystyna will be able to turn that around, I will help her do it, but the fact is that the nobles and the Sejm will need to be cut down, otherwise, Poland and Lithuania will be wiped off the map. Anyway, I had to focus on this interview with Dmitriyev, I had grand geopolitical goals for Russia and my new block of allies in the west, however, expanding, settling, and growing the Tsardom of Russia should come before anything else, so, I refocused myself "Explain the Siberian situation to me, I want to understand everything about our settlements beyond the Urals."

"Of course my Tsarina. Our primary settlement beyond the Urals is Yekaterinburg, however, we have a new settlement further south called Chelyabinsk, perhaps a more southern route maybe prove more hospitable, however, the Siberian climate is still very cruel and Chelyabinsk is potentially closer to the Central Asian Hordes, however, we are building fortresses near the border itself to prevent the horsemen from raiding into our fragile new settlements." Lord Vasily explained, so the situation didn't seem all that much more advanced than I knew, however, he does raise some valid points, the climate in Siberia is quite inhospitable, the Hordes in Central Asia and in Siberia present a real challenge, and we need fortresses as well as settlements, therefore, he does need more resources and he does need more money, perhaps he does deserve another chance, perhaps he should be thrown out of it entirely, I don't know, but Vasily Dmitriyev has managed to do something quite important - he managed to keep his foot in the door for long enough that I want to hear more.

"How do you propose we vastly increase our colonization efforts? I want a significant Russian presence on the Pacific by 1650, I fully admit that is an ambitious goal, however, I am confidant that the Tsardom of Russia can accomplish it, we have a secure financial future and many economic opportunities are opening up to our south, additionally, reaching the pacific will have its own economic benefits. Do you agree that this is possible? If so, what resources do you need to accomplish this?" I asked a few questions to him at once to see how quickly he can think, we'd focus on the colonization part first and then we'd talk about settlement, I wanted to challenge him, not overwhelm him, the human mind has its limits, I learned that better than most when I was trying to juggle ruling a country as large as Russia along with my romantic issues, now it seems easier at least, now my romantic issues are nearly laid to rest, I'm happy with Lady Krystyna and I'm confidant that Terezia and Yelizaveta will be happy together as well, as for ruling Russia, well, I'm getting the hang of it, absolutism is slowly but surely becoming the law of the land and I'm beginning to fulfill my domestic ambitions, including the Palace, including the colonization, and including the settlement.

"Well my Tsarina, if you want us to reach the Pacific by 1600, based on the maps from our Cossack explorers, what we really need is money, building materials, and men - I need agents stationed at towns like Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and beyond to report the specific interests of each settlement to me, directly, additionally, support from The Russian Orthodox Church may be exactly what we need to civilize the Mongol and Tatar savages roaming beyond our borders." Vasily explained, he made it very clear what he needed, he needed greater support, he needed a far larger communication network tying his settlements together, and he needed to convert the Siberian Hordes in order to assimilate them - now, the Mongols are savages, you cannot look at what they've done to China, Persia, and indeed Russia and not call them that, however, they are savages that crushed us before and they are savages who left a permanent scar on Russia, while the Mongols and their Tatar brethren may never be able to harm Russia again, I do believe that Dmitriyev is underestimating them, savages behavior, sure, but they have culture, literature, and religion just like we do so perhaps converting them won't be so simple, nevertheless, I'm willing to let him try and, as Tsarina, I hold authority over the Patriarch of Moscow and thus The Russian Orthodox Church as a whole, therefore, I am more than capable of bringing missionaries to Siberia if that's what Lord Vasily deems is still the right move for opening the way to further expansion.

"Very well, that is satisfactory. Now, Lord Vasily, how do you propose we go about settling southern Russia? The only way to fully tame the wild steppes of Asia is to build cities and fortresses there, walls of stone and cannons of steel that will prove impenetrable yet, so far, nothing has been done, how do you propose that we turn this around as well?" I moved onto the settlement part of my agenda, the lands that we've captured from The Great Horde, The Nogai Horde, and The Khanate of Kazan form much of the southern half of the Tsardom of Russia as it stands right now, with Kazan, Saratov, and especially Tsaritsyn being virtually the only major cities within those Horde lands - even when the Mongols reigned over Russia, they would tend to camp outside of the city walls in their yurts rather than settling in the actual cities, such is their nomadic way of life - now, the nomadic lifestyle had faded away towards the end as The Golden Horde splintered away and Islamic Khanates emerged such as Kazan and Crimea which were relatively more civilized, since then, Kazan has become a part of Russia and Crimea was absorbed into The Ottoman Empire - though now it's only a matter of time before Crimea finally becomes a part of the Tsardom of Russia, after all, we now have them surrounded by all sides, we rule over Circassia, we ruled over the steppes to the north of Crimea, and we ruled over Zaporizhia to the west.

"Southern Russia is indeed a very wild land, however, the land is much more secure now with the Cossacks protecting the land, however, we can search out strategic positions and develop fortresses and farms, once there is food and protection - protection from Hordes, Ottomans, and even our own Cossacks - people will come, there is plenty of space for towns and even proper cities in the lands of The Great Horde and around Kazan, admittedly, the lands of Nogai are rather rough, however, I am certain we'll be able to create some villages if nothing else - perhaps we can take advantage of the war-torn situation in The Holy Roman Empire and settle some of these areas with Germans and Bohemians from devastated lands?" Vasily suggested, now, Germans in particular could be very useful, now, The Holy Roman Empire is very densely populated and very devastated, Bohemia is particularly devastated as the war between Catholics and Protestants was initially concentrated on the Czech lands, but anyway, these people, skilled people, working people, could be the settlers we need to grow southern Russia, Siberia, and other areas all without depopulating over sectors of Russia. Now, Bohemians and Germans are not Russians, they don't speak our language or follow our religion, though neither do the Muslim Tatars or the Yids spread throughout Byelorussia and the Ukraine, language and ethnicity never defined the Tsardom of Russia and while I intend to use The Russian Orthodox Church to control the population, while I wanted Russian as a uniform language of administration, right now, I left like populating these Russian frontiers was a higher priority than trying to achieve the near impossible task of uniting all of Russia under one faith or one language, a goal that will only grow harder and harder as I seek to expand Russia to the south, east, and west - every direction possible.

Ultimately, I was satisfied with Lord Vasily, he understand the situation, he understands what he needs to colonize Siberia, and he came up with an interesting, albeit unconventional, idea for settling southern Russia, that was certainly enough to earn his place as I grew the Ministry of Settlement and Expansion around him, he is either legitimately intelligent and legitimately capable or he is a quick thinker, either way, that's a useful quality and filling the ranks with bureaucrats and other capable nobles will allow his qualities to flourish while his shortcomings will be lessened, therefore, the system of government I intend to build is precisely what is needed for an Empire as large and mighty as the Tsardom of Russia. Ultimately, I have the power to assign and take away all responsibilities within Russia, I have appointed two Ministers thus far, Terezia is my Minister of Diplomacy and now Lord Vasily is my Minister of Settlement and Expansion, I can appoint others and I can retake powers as I see fit, therefore, I can make up for my own shortcomings and I can use my courtiers and allies to maximum effect, and, best of all, I can do all of this without the interference of nobles, that absolutism and that meritocracy is what will turn Russia from a feudal state to a modern absolute monarchy. I have secured Russian absolutism, I have secured allies and trade relations to combat Ottoman influence in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and I have set in motion a series of events that will lead to rapid exploration, colonization, settlement, and development of Siberia, now, once Terezia and Yelizaveta are together, I can finally put my full focus on getting ready to defeat the Turks in Crimea and in the Caucasus.

* * *

I entered one of the lounges at Kolomenskoye with a smile as I saw a familiar blonde head looking down at a familiar book - Yelizaveta was reading that book about Yekaterina and Tatiana again, I approached her and joined her on the coach - Liz was beautifully dressed in a gold dress with some dark blue trim, meanwhile, I was dressed in a black and purple dress with gold, white, red, pink, and blue trim - they were different colors, different styles, and her dress had a much simpler design color wise, yet somehow, we still looked like a pair, perhaps it was just that because we shared the same blue eyes, the same blonde hair, and the same perfect pale skin, no outfit could possibly make us look apart, make us look like anything less than sisters. Sisters, that is what we were and that is what we'll always be, I loved Liz and Liz loved me but that is a love that should only ever be a sibling love, regardless of those feelings born by that night in Minsk, we would be a normal family. Lady Krystyna would be mine and Terezia would be Krystyna's, that's the only way for the four of us to move forward, these feelings will only hold us all back, these feelings will only prevent us from being happy, therefore, I joined Yelizaveta on the couch and the two of us tried to recreate the last moment we shared together when we were truly happy - that first ever time we read about Yekaterina and Tatiana.

We read risque scenes, we read soft, loving moments, we read passionate kisses, the book is what started it all, it confirmed Yelizaveta's sexuality after her little romance with the servant girl and the book combined with Yelizaveta's question put me into the position where I realized my sexuality, the feelings spawned by this mutual realization faded away, soon enough, we were just two sisters reading a book together, soon enough, it was just like when we were little and I was proudly reading out each and every Cyrillic character to little Yelizaveta as my mother observed fondly from the corner of the room, soon enough, it was just the two of us running up to our father when he returned from work to boast about the words we learned, soon enough, it was me watching with pride as my student became the master, Yelizaveta taught everything I taught her to little Sofiya, she spoke with authority, she confidently spelled out words she had once struggled with, and she even adopted many of the mannerism I used when I taught her. Now, as adults - well mostly anyway - we giggled at some particularly vulgar language, we started reading out the dialogue and laughing at ourselves like a bunch of little children, and we actually got through a significant amount of pages, however, as we read over a passage of relationship fluff between Yekaterina and Tatiana, Yelizaveta suddenly stopped reading.

"What's wrong?" I asked Yelizaveta, I was concerned, I was being sisterly - I was taking the exact role that I was supposed to take, I was finally back to being the big sister figure that I was supposed to be, Krystyna finally managed to quell the incestuous feelings enough that I could be in close proximity with Yelizaveta, I could touch her, and I could care for her, all without those incestuous feelings that have been plaguing me ever since Minsk.

"Oh nothing," Yelizaveta shot down unconvincingly, so unconvincing in fact that Liz herself couldn't help but laugh at herself a bit bitterly, she knew that she failed and she knew that she had to explain what was wrong and she knew that, as her sister, I wasn't going to accept anything less than the truth - I wasn't going to let Liz be unhappy, especially not because I'm happy now with Lady Krystyna. Perhaps I felt guilty for abandoning Liz to spend my nights with Lady Krystyna, perhaps I blamed myself for the loneliness by proposing that damned foolish snuggling together in our sleep idea, perhaps I blamed myself for not putting an end to these feelings either in Minsk or in Kiev when my attempts just made Yelizaveta storm out, in any case, I knew that I had to help Liz through this, I couldn't leave her behind again after all that we've been through lately.

"Come on Liz, tell me." I pleaded with her, a pair of blue eyes stared into another pair of blue eyes, a Tsarina of Russia stared into the eyes of the next Tsarina of Russia, two generations of absolute power looked into one another, one of us will crush The Ottomans, one of us will reach the Pacific, one of us create a mountain of gold and glory out of Moscow, we will be the greatest women in Russian history, but right now, right now we were just sisters and I cared about my little sister, I didn't want her to feel that kind of weight on her shoulders - at only nineteen I had to take on the burden and the responsibility of being Tsarina of Russia, I've handled it, but it required support and it required friends and family around me, now, I didn't want Yelizaveta, at only sixteen, keep her emotions bottled up and trying to deal with them on her own - these feelings don't make life easy, I don't deny that, I have a hard time dealing with them too and I'm at very least with Lady Krystyna, Yelizaveta is all on her own and she needs help so, even if I could use a little bit of my own help, I'll be Yelizaveta's helper.

"It's just...I just wish that I wasn't alone." Yelizaveta admitted "I read about Yekaterina and Tatiana being happy together, kissing, touching, making love, I see you and Krystyna being happy together, cuddling, feeling, and biting at each other's necks, I want that too, I want to be happy with someone, I want to hold hands and watch sunsets and rest against her chest, I don't want to be alone anymore. I want to be the center of someone else's world, I don't want to be the second daughter of the Tsar or the Tsarina's sister, I want to be my own person with somebody for once."

I didn't treat Yelizaveta as second fiddle, I treated her as my sister and I viewed her as my equal because she will be my successor, however, to everyone else, she was just my sister and before that, she was just the daughter, in fact, I would wager that many within the Tsardom of Russia don't even know that she's my heiress, perhaps they still expect me to eventually get married and have kids, I may not treat her as a satellite figure, but to the rest of the world, she was a satellite figure, she was the second daughter, she was the one who was never supposed to inherent anything, she was just a girl of royal blood, nothing more and nothing less, but to me, to me she was the future of Russia.

"You're not alone, I'm here for you, Krystyna is here for you...Terezia is here for you." I put my hands on Yelizaveta's shoulders and I looked her in the eyes, my eyes telling her everything that went unsaid, she looked me back in the eyes, confused at first, however, as she looked at me, she grew to understand, she grew to realize that I've been working behind the scenes to lay the foundation for a relationship, she realized that I've been trying to help her the whole time, she realized that, once again, her older sister made everything better.

"Terezia...?" Yelizaveta asked just to be sure and I nodded, everything was laid in place, she just had to take it. Sure enough, the next time I saw Yelizaveta and Terezia together, they were holding hands and, more importantly, Yelizaveta was smiling, they were beginning a relationship, they were doing exactly what I had intended for the two of them to do. I smiled too because, after all this time, it seemed that my personal life was dealt with and now I could turn my attention towards crushing my enemies in The Ottoman Empire, soon enough, the Tsardom of Russia would be at war.

* * *

Alright well this has been Romans chapter seventeen and next chapter we will see what Sultana Helena and Grand Vizier Fatimah are up to in Tunis with an Ottoman chapter, in the mean time, I am going to _try_ to get a secondary story up and running this next week and I do believe that it will be here on fanfiction, so, if you're interested...


	18. Peace in The Middle East

Welcome to the first Ottoman chapter in...forever? Yeah, sorry, but we're back with Helena and Fatimah still at General Abdul's Tunisian manor after The Treaty of Tunis, doing something resembling the beginning of last chapter. Full disclosure I originally intended to have Helena and Fatimah's scene first with a few chapters between the sex scenes but, unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, anyway, don't worry, after these two chapters, we'll be mostly clean until the end of the second act. Also, I have a SWTOR story in the works that should post the week after this, chapters on that story will be a bit shorter than this one and I'm still treating this as my flagship story even though I can imagine that the Star Wars stuff will get more views. Anyway...

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XVIII.

Peace in The Middle East.

* * *

Lips crashed against lips as we celebrated the peak of The Ottoman Empire, the Sultana-regent and the Grand Vizier, the women who crushed the Portuguese and their Arabian puppets to finally bring all of Arabia under one flag for the first time since the 8th century Caliphates, the Qara Qoyunlu Persians were still reeling from my late husband's campaign, and everything between Morocco and Persia belonged to my Empire, for once, there was peace in the middle east. I began slipping off Fatimah's dress as everything finally felt right. With my husband I felt like an outsider, I felt like nothing more than an outlet for his sexual pleasure, I felt like I'd never amount to anything, however, with Fatimah, I feel like there's no place I'd rather be than right here as Sultana-regent making love to my Grand Vizier, I felt more pleasure just from knowing I'd soon be with her than I ever did with my husband, and I felt like, together, we accomplish more than any Sultan since our great conquests like Constantinople, Egypt, and Mecca, we've come so far in so little time.

Soon enough Fatimah's dress was all the way off and the caramel beauty laid on her childhood bed, just waiting for me to join her - her legs were bent at the knees and held together, she was a bit too nervous to show what lies below that black tuft of hair, my eyes glanced over her flat stomach before finally looking over her perfect round breasts, her long, thin neck, and finally the pair of brown eyes on a beautiful face crowned by long, smooth black hair. She was perfection, not only was she a genius woman but she was absolutely beautiful, she was an untouched, pure angel and I was used up, chewed up, and spit out, not only have I had sex but I was pregnant and gave birth - I even wear the scars to prove it, but on Fatimah...not a single mark between her belly button and the beginning of her pubic hair...I couldn't compete with that, I wasn't her equal, I wasn't worthy of her. Fatimah was accepting of everything so far, but I knew she wouldn't be able to accept me once she saw what I meant when I said I was damaged goods - I took a deep breath, there was no use hiding it anymore, might as well throw myself into the pain now - I slipped off my dress and stared down at my bare feet, my legs were long and shaved, I was happy enough with them, but I wasn't happy with my stomach, not the scar, not the lingering stretch marks, and not the penetrated privates below, I wasn't good enough for her and I knew it, it was spelled all over my face and, if I had the heart to look up at Fatimah, I'm sure that she was far from happy.

I didn't do anything for a beat, nor did Fatimah, however, after that moment, I felt Fatimah grab my hands, my eyes darted up, the question written all over my face but before I could ask it Fatimah's lips crashed against mine once again - perhaps she didn't care, perhaps she was too worked up to stop, in any case, after our kiss, she lead my back to the bed and positioned me on top of her so that I was straddling her - regardless of my self-esteem or lack thereof, even I couldn't stop myself when I was straddling a beautiful, smart, and willing woman like Fatimah, I was unworthy, but that could wait until later. Therefore, Fatimah and I spent all night robbing her of her childhood and her innocence on her childhood bed, fingers, tongues, and teeth did things and went places that I never thought possible, Fatimah made me explode with pleasure countless times that night and, worthy or not, all night long I did the same to my beautiful, wonderful, amazing Grand Vizier. Lips touched two pairs of lips and hands touched everything they possible could, it was the best night of my life and, the unfortunate reality of it is that I fear I may never get a night like this again, I fear that Fatimah knows she'll find someone better, someone who is truly her equal.

Still, I would enjoy it while it lasts, I kissed Fatimah on the forehead after she passed out from exhaustion and joined her in happy, cuddling sleep, the Sultana and the Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire in bed together at last, the two women would put their civilization on top of the world pushed each other over the edge again and again and again as we enjoyed a night of blissful sex in celebration of our complete victory in Arabia. The Portuguese were not happy and Teresa Hungara only signed a ceasefire when it comes to Bahrain and Muscat, however, those trade ports are de factor ours anyway, the Portuguese won't be able to fight us and there's nothing that a Transylvanian noblewoman will be able to do about it, not while I have Fatimah on my side, with her, I'm invincible. I went to sleep wishing that I could have the same effect on her, I'd love nothing more than if I could make Fatimah feel invincible.

* * *

I wore a thin robe and stood on Fatimah's balcony the next morning, looking out over Tunis. The city had been built near the ruins of Carthage and assumed the city's role as a major Mediterranean trade port and had been the center of a powerful Sultanate, however, that Sultanate, like so many others, was conquered and assimilated into The Ottoman Empire, nevertheless, Tunis is still a beautiful and significant city and, thanks to Fatimah's hard work while filling in for her blinded, injured father the governor. I could see the minarets of dozens of mosques, I could see the rising sun, and, opposite of that, I could see the ships sailing out of the port of Tunis into the Mediterranean. In any other civilization, Tunis would be one of the greatest cities, however, The Ottoman Empire had its capital in Konstantiniyye, the new Rome, and, along with that, we held the six greatest cities in Islam - Mecca, where the prophet Muhammad had his visions, Medina where Muhammad built up his followers after being banished, Jerusalem where the prophet ascended to heaven, Damascus, where the Umayyad Caliphate built their capital, Baghdad, the initial home of the Abbasid Caliphate and the center of the Islamic Golden Age, and Cairo, where both the Shi'ite Fatimid Caliphate and the later Sunni Abbasid Caliphate made their home, now, they all belong to one Caliphate, The Ottoman Caliphate.

Tunis cannot hold a candle to those kinds of cities with those kinds of credentials, not to mention that we also rule over places such as Alexandria, Athens, and Algiers are also within our borders, however, I'd trade it all away for a happy life with Fatimah and my son Abdullah Timur, a house like this, enough money to keep the three of us fed and comfortable, and a few guards to keep us safe, that's all I'd ever need, however, I knew that wasn't possible, my son was heir to The Ottoman Empire and that meant he would be in Konstantiniyye one way or another, I would be with him - in fact I'm already worried due to spending a few months away from him while at war - and Fatimah would be restless without something to govern and without an outlet for ideas - not to mention the fact that I'm totally inadequate as an outlet for her sexual desires as well, I'm scarred, used up, and I know it, she's perfect, pure, and a natural in the bed, I was born a Princess in Theodoro and I've come to rule The Ottoman Empire through a series of unlikely events, however, despite that privileged birth and despite all that would-be luck, I was still nothing compared to the daughter of an injured Arab general. I've given Fatimah position and I won her Arabia, but my inadequacy in the bedroom and my distaste for war will catch up with me, Fatimah will find a better lover and a willing warrior sooner rather than later.

"Why are you out of bed?" Fatimah asked with a sultry voiced as she wrapped her arms around me and planted a kiss on my cheek, I could tell through the thin fabric of my robe that she didn't bother getting dressed, a naked woman was embracing me on a balcony in Tunis, I don't think I could've ever predicted this back when I was merely a Princess in Theodoro, however, that didn't stop this from feeling any less natural. I was a bit surprised by Fatimah's actions, I knew I wasn't good enough for her, but she was clearly in a good mood and I'd imagine she wanted another round sooner rather than later.

"Fatimah..." I decided to ask the question that's been gnawing at me ever since I tore off my dress last night, the question that caused me to wake up before Fatimah and crawl out of bed, the question that I needed to have answered even though I feared that I wouldn't like the answer "Did you...did you like last night?"

"Of course!" Fatimah insisted as her expression changed from a happy one to a concerned one "Did you not? Oh my God Helena, did I hurt you? I absolutely didn't want to hurt you, if you weren't ready or if you were feeling hurt, you should've said something, I would've stopped! I wouldn't be mad Helena, I promise, I would never have hur-"

"Fatimah!" I interrupted her, Fatimah absolutely didn't hurt me, I had a wonderful night, a godly night, Fatimah's touch was so intoxicating, the only thing that worried me was that Fatimah didn't like it, that she didn't like me, but her reaction just about confirms that she did enjoy it and that she loves me, I know that, I know that I'm being a bit irrational, but I need to hear her say it, I need to hear it so that it'll be reality and I know that I can be in a loving, sexual relationship after a marriage that certainly wasn't loving and brought me no sexual pleasure "So...after last night...you still want to be with me?"

I wasn't exactly sure what the naked Arab woman was going to do to me after that question, but I didn't think that she was going to slap me upside the head.

"Of course I want to be with you Helena! I love you!" Helena all but shouted, I doubt that the guards at the front gates didn't hear, but they pretended not to and not a single one dared to turn around, looking into the room of the daughter of an Ottoman general was not wise, the guards managed to remain composed, but I sure as hell didn't, a combination of shock, relief, and utter joy made me react quite obviously.

"I love you too Fatimah," I said at a much quieter volume but packed with just as much meaning as Fatimah's shout, I solidified that by giving her a kiss, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her waist as we enjoyed one another, the Sultana-regent and the Grand Vizier, the most powerful women in The Ottoman Empire and perhaps the world - though, as much as it pains me to admit it, Tsarina Anastasia gives us a run for our money and I will need to deal with her soon, but not before I show Fatimah just how much I love her - after we broke apart our kiss my brain worked quickly, it was nowhere near as magical as Fatimah's brain, but my earlier thoughts on the six greatest cities of Islam plus Konstantiniyye and Tunis, along with my determination to make things right with my beautiful Carthaginian, came together to form a wonderful idea "I think the two of us shall take the scenic route back to Konstantiniyye - how do you fancy a tour of The Ottoman Empire mixed with a Hajj and an opportunity to put some of your great ideas into action?"

Fatimah beamed at my proposal and thus, it became reality, we shall say our goodbyes to General Abdul, pack our bags, and head west to Egypt with a brilliant escort of Ottoman guards, we had won the war in Arabia and we had signed The Treaty of Tunis, this was the high point of our civilization and, with a dark Russian cloud on the horizon, it was time to celebrate while we still could.

* * *

"Thank you dad," Fatimah hugged General Abdul one last time as we were about to leave, I was grateful for being able to use his house to sign our treaty with the Arabs and our ceasefire with the Portuguese, not to mention being able to spend some time alone with Fatimah without having to worry over Konstantiniyye politics or some war full of atrocities and needless bloodshed, however, that time, like all good things, must come to an end - I have an Empire to run, a conspiracy to hunt down, and a war to plan for - however, just because our alone time was ending didn't mean that the two of us couldn't end it on a high note with our tour of The Ottoman Empire, we are ruling an infinitely successful Empire at the height of our power and influence, I want to see how my people are enjoying that power and prosperity and I want to see where Fatimah's very ambitious ideas are most needed and, on the other hand, where they are most viable. It's not just spending time with a beautiful woman, no, by spending time with this beautiful woman, I'm doing a great service to The Ottoman Empire!

"You are welcome here anytime my dear," Abdul hugged his daughter as his strained, scarred eyes seemed to try and focus in on me, he could tell who I was and where I was standing, but I wasn't sure how much detail he was able to see after his grievous injuries in the battlefield - the fact that I don't know what exactly his injury was hardly helps - he smiled at me, dare I say that it was a knowing smile? I could hardly be certain, however, I would respond to keep the situation from getting too awkward and because I was legitimately thankful for how accommodating Abdul has been to us.

"Your hospitality is incredibly appreciated General, you and your daughter have shown and continue to show incredible service to The Ottoman Empire, if there is anything you need of us, I will ensure that Konstantiniyye will provide, after all, you provided Konstantiniyye with the most capable Grand Vizier in decades, dare I say centuries." I laid the praise on thick but I meant it, especially the parts about Fatimah, my Carthaginian knew that I would spend all day praising her if I could, she knew that she was a fantastic woman, and she knew that I was absolutely thrilled to be with her.

"My little Fatimah has blossomed into a great young woman and it pleases me that she has such good judgement." Abdul gave us a small smile before returning to his chair with the help of a cane and his aide, Fatimah and I shared a glance, it was clear to the both of us that he knew, but it was also clear that he had already decided not to make a problem of it, this was a lucky break for us and the two of us were inclined to leave without digging any deeper, this was one of those situations where it was best to quit while we were ahead, thus, we left General Abdul's home and boarded a grand Ottoman carriage, accompanied by Janissaries on horseback - Olga was not among them, I trusted her with protecting my son and his nurse and temporary guardian Xanthippi - carrying the grand banners of the Sultan, the Caliph, the Ottoman dynasty, and Konstantiniyye itself, a caravan of camels carrying gold and other luxuries - while we were in Mecca we would take the opportunity to go on a Hajj, therefore, we will try and replicate the great Hajj of Mansa Musa, filling North Africa with gold and prosperity - thus, in our carriage with a grand escort and a great amount of gold at our disposal, we set out eastward for our first destination: Cairo.

* * *

"The Pyramids and the sphinx." I noted as we took an admittedly unnecessary detour through Giza on our way to Cairo, I wanted to show her the great ancient ruins, countless Egyptian dynasties, the Persian Achaemenids, the Macedonian Ptolemaios Dynasty, and numerous Islamic dynasties have reigned over Egypt, however, not a single one of them has reigned for nearly as long as this cluster of limestone tombs in the desert, that is something that I have to respect, after all, these pyramids will still be here long after The Ottoman Dynasty itself is nothing but a dusty crypt of long dead Turks.

"I have to wonder...how hard would it be to build a pyramid in Konstantiniyye?" Fatimah fantasized with a smirk on her lips, she was kidding around, now, obviously Konstantiniyye was a massive city and quite densely developed, really, there isn't a place where we could possibly build a pyramid without it being outside of the city - and at that point, we'd likely have to build beyond the seven hill around the city, the situation wasn't realistic as a pyramid outside of the city wouldn't do much good unless we expanded Konstantiniyye to accommodate it and, unlike a certain rival of mine, I don't have the luxury of dipping into a chest of stolen Polish wealth, I have a much more modest chest of stolen Arabian loot and I'd love to expand it with some Portuguese wealth, however, all we had right now was a ceasefire and, while I incorporated Bahrain and Muscat into my empire, the Portuguese considered it an occupation, in any case, without having two empires worth of money to tap into, I wouldn't be able to expand Konstantiniyye to build some silly pyramid, especially since I already intended to undertake some very expensive projects of Fatimah's in the former of another attempt at an Egyptian canal and developing up our new Arabian territory, still, if Fatimah actually wanted it and I were able to actually provide it, I'd certainly build a pyramid in Konstantiniyye, but, unfortunately, reality is boring and we must settle for viewing the Egyptian pyramids through a little window in a carriage moving through the desert on our way to Cairo.

"How hard would it be to build Konstantiniyye in a pyramid?" I joked in return, I enjoyed being with Fatimah without having to worry about The Ottoman Empire or politics, she made reigning in Konstantiniyye substantially easier, but being with her just as people having fun...that was absolutely divine, however, I knew that it was completely unrealistic. My son practically had me chained to the capital as he was heir and officially Sultan and I sure as hell wasn't going to leave him alone with someone like Spartak Pasha taking the role of regent, I may not have ever wanted a son before circumstances forced me into marrying Suleiman III, but that didn't mean that I was going to abandon him - I admit I'm not very good at loving my son, I admit that I resent him a little bit because of the actions of his father and because of my new role in Konstantiniyye, but I am his mother and I will not turn into a monster. My son is hardly the only problem, Fatimah loved me and I loved her, however, I knew that she would grow bored and restless without a realm to govern, this was a wonderful break, however, it was not a realistic lifestyle, we would have to settle for nights of passionate love and sex separated by long days of boring politics, petty disputes, and internal unrest, I suppose that's a great life too, after all, we'll get all the luxury we can ask for and we get to be together, albeit in secret, but a great life does not make a perfect life and, when I'm with the perfect woman, I suppose it's only natural that I then pine for the perfect life.

Perfect life or not the carriage ride into Cairo was perfect as the two of us exchanged jokes and kisses, sat together intimately, and enjoyed viewing the sites of Cairo - the rich bazaars reminded me of the breathtaking day I spent outside of Topkapi Palace, the same day I found out about Olga's double life, despite the revelation doing a number on my confidence and my relationship with the Janissary captain, the day was still one of the most amazing days of my life, even when counting my life before being taken away to The Ottoman Empire...perhaps I would take Fatimah through one of these bazaars, the smells, the sounds, the exotic luxury goods...there was nothing quite like it and I wanted to experience it with the woman I loved, with the love of my life. The mosques in Cairo were among the greatest in the world, and the city itself was probably the second largest in The Ottoman Empire, behind only Konstantiniyye itself, after all, despite being six centuries old unlike Konstantiniyye which, in some form, has existed for over two millennia, Cairo is the successor to the great Egyptian capitals such as Memphis, Thebes, and Alexandria, and, much like most of those capitals, Cairo sat on the Nile, the life giving vein of the Egyptian desert.

The people of Cairo were quite interested in seeing our grand caravan heading down their streets, every class of Cairo was present - mere slaves stood next to artisans who stood next to nobles and their entourages, who stood next to Mamluk warriors who, despite their Sultanate being long gone, still held considerable influence and sway over Cairo and patrolled the streets armed with their kilij swords - kilijs were a Turkic and Mamluk variant of the scimitar - and wearing suits of armor. At this point, these Mamluks were the descendants of other Mamluks rather actual Turks, Georgians, and Circassians who were enslaved and pressed into service, nevertheless, they still valued their warrior culture and they still saw themselves as apart from the Egyptian Arabs and Turkish settlers in Cairo and they terrorized the locals just enough to remind them of their former power, however, the Mamluks were taxed heavily in retribution, nevertheless, the taxes and the changing times were not enough to abolish the Mamluk class as a whole, however, I've also ensured that they won't form a new Sultanate any time soon.

Eventually we left the carriage and proceeded through the city with a small elite guard of Janissaries, however, I was intent on taking Fatimah through one of these bazaars without a guard, so, after telling my guards to help a trader with a broken wagon, Fatimah and I bolted hand in hand. we slipped through a number of alleyways and around a number of tight corners before winding up on another one of Cairo's major streets, a street which lead to one of the city's major bazaars. I smiled, Fatimah and I would get a few minutes to ourselves before our guards tracked us down and then Janissaries lightly chastised us - ironically I felt safer in Cairo than I did in Konstantiniyye, there were conspiracies in the capital? Here, there were traders selling their exotic goods from all around the Mediterranean, from the distant lands of India, and from the great Silk Road trade network, this is what Fatimah and I wanted to see.

We walked hand in hand through the bazaar, having left our jewelry and crowns in the wagon - the people of The Ottoman Empire didn't know what we looked like, there were only a few paintings of me floating around the Empire and most of those were in Topkapi Palace, as for Fatimah, well, there were even less of her given she only recently became the Grand Vizier, therefore, no one would recognize us here, however, someone could've recognized the jewelry and crowns only someone very powerful in Konstantiniyye would wear - there's also the fact that blindly running through alleyways in a city we don't know was already stupid enough, doing that while wearing valuables was just asking for trouble.

However, there was no trouble to be found in the Bazaar, however, just about everything else could be found - there were lavish rugs, strange and exotic fruits, Chinese silks, Indian spices, and Venetian glass, that along with all kinds of luxury goods from every corner of the old world and, increasingly, more and more new world goods were finding their way into The Ottoman Empire, now, admittedly the fact we were just at war with Portugal did put a bit of a dent into our imports of new world goods, but that's just a reality of war with a major colonial power, trade gets interrupted and thus the flow of goods is interrupted, however, there was still plenty of variety here and it was intoxicating. The colors, the smells, the sounds...the atmosphere was perfect and the best part of it all was that I got to enjoy it with Fatimah at my side, that alone was enough to completely blow my visit to Konstantiniyye's bazaar out of the water. I grabbed Fatimah's other hand and turned to her as a band of retired Mamluks began playing music, I looked into her brown eyes, I scanned the smile on her lips, I saw her skin glowing a wonderul golden brown in the North African sun - she was absolutely beautiful, she was downright sexy, and she was mine.

"You look great today..." I giggled as I looked down, I've kissed this woman, I've had sex with this woman, I've told this woman I loved her, however, none of that felt nearly as real as this, none of it felt nearly as official "You are great today...you're great everyday. Those walks we took together around Topkapi Palace discussing your wonderful ideas...those days I always thought that if I were just a man we could get married, be husband and wife, have wonderful children, and make the world our oyster, but we are who we are and I'm happy that I'm a woman, especially when I'm with you. So...I know that we can't ever get married, I know that we can't ever be husband and wife, but maybe we can promise to be together for the rest of our lives and you can call yourself my wive and I'll call myself your wife, we'll be wife and wife..I know it's a little silly and I know we're just playing with labels but...I'd love it if we could do that."

"I'd be honored to be your wife, but...don't you ever say you want to be my husband ever again, I want you as my wife in all your feminine glory - got it?" Fatimah demanded with a smirk, I giggled again but I nodded before kissing Fatimah, kissing my wife at the end of our "betrothal" I'd get down on my knee and make a whole ceremony out of it, however, not only is that not a local custom but two women doing that in the middle of a bazaar would get all sorts of weird attention we didn't need. I spotted a jeweler in the corner of my eye and dragged Fatimah along with me, I had a crazy idea in my head. Wedding rings were not an Islamic tradition, but that would be an advantage I think, that way the two of us could wear our matching rings and most people wouldn't think anything of it, however, I would know exactly what it means and I would explain it to my Grand Vizier and wife.

"How much for a matching set of rings?" I asked the vendor, Fatimah raised an eyebrow but she didn't say anything, she knew that I was up to something but she certainly wasn't about to stop me. The vendor showed me a few pairs and I of course bought the nicest set - now obviously I haggled down the price, I may have been born in Theodoro and I may have been sheltered in Topkapi Palace, however, I knew enough about bazaars to realize the price vendors say they want is far, far higher than the price they'll be happy to sell it for, they enjoy haggling and they enjoy scamming the occasional ignorant outsider as well, however, I was a well-educated scammer, therefore, I found a price where I was only mostly being scammed and paid it with the gold coins from the small purse I wore on my hip, leaving them on the table. I grimaced as one of the coins came face up with a profile of Suleiman III's face - I can assure you that whoever made this coin was being quite generous and I can assure you that my husband would've had the minter executed if he had not been - I turned it around and the opposite side displayed an engraved star and crescent - much better. With the transaction complete, I asked for Fatimah to give me her hand and I slipped one of the rings onto her ring finger before giving her the other ring and having her do the same to me.

"Wedding rings are a Christian tradition, they signify we're married." I explained with a small smile on my lips, Fatimah beamed at this new information, we were wife and wife now, it was official.

"In that case...I'll wear it everyday!" Fatimah promised and I silently promised too as the guards began searching the bazaar for us. Fatimah and I walked hand in hand with blissful expressions on our faces and we met with the guards once again, they chastised us just as I predicted but, ultimately, nothing would come of it, I was fine, Fatimah was fine, and all of these Janissaries were fine, therefore, after awhile, they stopped complaining and simply led us newlyweds back to our carriage, a carriage which would soon take us out of Cairo and out of Egypt altogether. We were going to the Arabian peninsula once again, however, rather than war, this time, we were going with religious intentions - we had a Christian "marriage" however we would celebrate that marriage with an Islamic hajj, some people would find it weird, however, I'm somewhere between Orthodox and Sunni myself while Fatimah is irreligious, therefore, for us, we could bare with a variety of religious traditions. Especially given that the two of us taking a Hajj may win over some of the conservative Muslims who oppose the two of us at the helm of The Ottoman Empire, some of these conservatives may even be some of Spartak Pasha's would-be allies, killing two birds with one stone.

* * *

Fatimah and I dressed in full white robes as we began the religious ceremony, all our guards dressed in white as well - the Janissaries, while being formed from kidnapped Christian boys, were forced to convert to Islam - now, Captain Draganov was a Muslim convert man, however, Olga Draganova was an Orthodox Christian Bulgarian woman living in Constantinople, I suspect that Olga as a whole would consider herself Orthodox but I don't think she's particularly pious to begin with. All of us proceeded into the great Mosque and made our way around the Kaaba counterclockwise, making our first three rotations quickly around the edge of the courtyard - we were joined by hundreds of Ottoman citizens but our guards kept a perimeter around the two of us, that was a bit greedy, however, it was a necessity, after all, we just conquered the rest of Arabia outside of Hejaz and the Hajj was a massive event for all Muslims so it's certainly possible that many, many disgruntled Arabians could be here and my own husband was murdered not all that long ago, I had to be smart - and then we made our way inside for four slow rotations.

The Kaaba was a religious site for Arabs for time immemorial, however, Muhammad and his Muslim followers emptied it of pagan idols and adopted the Kaaba as their own symbol, including the black stone in the foundation, a meteor placed by Muhammad when the clans of Mecca renovated the Kaaba. We committed the seven circles around the square and I knelt down in front of the black stone and I kissed it, as he had done, then I got up and made room for Fatimah, she did the same. The two of us finally got out of the way and let the others complete the ritual as well. We left the Mosque and completed our Hajj, the two of us had done our pious deed and, hopefully, that would calm down some of our religious enemies. Two women at the head of an Islamic civilization was very, very strange, two women at the head of an Islamic civilization that holds the Caliphate? That's unheard of, however, despite the fact that I'm a convert, I'll hopefully come across as a pious, serious convert even though even I'm not sure about my own religion. Fatimah admittedly had less to worry about, she was a Sunni Muslim from Tunis, the problem with her is that not only is a female regent at the head of The Ottoman Empire but there's a female Grand Vizier for the first time in history as well, however, despite the controversy, I think our military success and our great tour of the Empire will win over enough support to give us a period of peace, prosperity, and stability up until the times comes for war against the Russians.

* * *

Medina was our next destination, the first of the Caliphate capitals, where Muhammad and his Rashidun Caliphate made their home, in fact, while he ascended to heaven in Jerusalem, he is buried in Medina. Here Fatimah and I would meet with the Arabian nobility. I wore a dress that was predominantly green with a secondary color of a pale green with gold and red jewelry sewn into the dress and the green veil I wore over my head - I didn't wear a veil over my face and neither did Fatimah - speaking of Fatimah, she wore red dress with gold trim with gold and silver jewelry sewn in, we were dressed very similarly with the colors and mine being a two-tone dress being the bigger differences between our dresses. Our carriage took us to the regional capital building and we stepped out, walking into the building and entering a large chamber filled with Arabian nobles. Fatimah and I took our seats and looked out at the amphitheater-esque chamber, now, with all these nobles, obviously we wouldn't get any alone time with them, however, we would discuss with this groups and learn the needs of these Arabian nobles. Here Fatimah would get the chance to apply her ideas to western Arabia.

"Nobles of the Hejaz, I am Sultana Helena of The Ottoman Empire and this is Fatimah bint-Abdul, Grand Vizier, we have returned from our Hajj and now, in Medina, the second holiest city of The Ottoman Empire, we are here to hear your grievances and present our agenda for the Hejaz and our newly acquired Arabian provinces. You may now speak." I brought the session into play and sat back down, waiting for the nobles to make their points.

"Congratulations on your Hajj, speaking of the pilgrimage industry, you have scaled down our efforts to convert the heathens in Europe, how do you intend to grow the pilgrimage industry to Mecca without growing the population of Muslims?" One noble asked, the Hajj as well as other religious pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina were incredibly profitable for the Hejaz nobles, however, in Europe, it was also very expensive and very dangerous to try and convert the staunchly Catholic and staunchly Orthodox Balkans, the only places where we've had any success thus far are with the Albanians and in Bosnia, groups which neither border each other nor are particularly close to Konstantiniyye, so, overall, for The Ottoman Empire it is actually a waste of money to try and convert the Europeans because we've never been able to convert enough people that pilgrimages make up for the loss of the Dhimmi tax on non-Muslims and the cost of actually sending missionaries and soldiers to the cities, towns, and villages we wish to convert, however, nobles never thought about the state as a whole - in fact, nobles who thought about the state as a whole were probably planning on taking over - and these Hejaz nobles only thought about the Hejaz.

"We have gained the land we wanted from Persia, therefore, my proposal is that we improve our relationship with the Qara Qoyunlu state and we invite more Shi'ite Persians to take the Hajj as well." Shia, Sunni, Ibadi, and all groups of Muslims took the Hajj, therefore, since we got the land we wanted, Persia was crippled, and I had a distaste for war, we could form an amicable relationship with our eastern neighbor and, without the threat of war, Shia Muslims from Persia will be far more open towards entering the Sunni Ottoman Empire and taking the Hajj. The more pious nobles grumbled slightly that not only was I not converting heathens but I was profiting off of heretics, however, none of them ultimately objected because they recognized that Shia Persia money was just as good as Sunni Balkan money. I managed to answer that question on my own, but I doubted the nobles would be that easy on us going forward, therefore, as another noble prepared to ask a question, Fatimah and I brace ourselves, we would be ready for anything.

"With the new acquisitions of territory from the Arabians, how will land and administration be divided? The Hejaz deserves to remain the largest and most prosperous province in Arabia, how will you ensure that Mecca and Medina retain their privileges now that Ottoman Arabia has grown so much?" Another noble asked, he didn't want to see the rest of Arabia turned into one province that would overshadow the Hejaz as he didn't want his position to be diminished at all, fortunately, the different parts of Arabia had different needs and thus we would create provinces accordingly - ultimately, the plan that Fatimah and I have discussed thus far had the borders of the new provinces largely matching up with the only feudal borders of the Sultanates we just defeated - I knew her plan just as well as she did, I listened intently, however, as I answered the first question, I would allow her to take this one.

"Central Arabia will be turned into a large province called Najd, this province will be physically larger than Hejaz, however, this province is mainly barren desert, I'm sure you don't feel threatened by a collection of oasis towns and nomadic Bedouins? As for the eastern coast, the vast majority of our Gulf coast territory in Arabia will be turned into a new province of Hormuz, mirroring the old Sultanate. Hormuz will not be larger, nor more populated than the Hejaz, additionally, we've ensured that it won't be more valuable, I'll explain why in a moment. The southern coast of Arabia is divided between the provinces of Yemen and Oman, again, I doubt these provinces will threaten you at all. Now, there are two exceptions, due to the Portuguese signing a ceasefire rather than a full on treaty, for the time being, Bahrain and Muscat shall be under direct Ottoman control from Konstantiniyye, once the Portuguese give up and sign a Treaty, we will assign those places to the appropriate provinces." Fatimah explained, Najd, Hormuz, Yemen, and Oman would have regional governors while I would have trusted regents in Bahrain and Muscat until the situation with the Portuguese finally boils over. In any case, the nobles seemed pleased enough by this answer, once again, they just didn't want to be confined to a province that's smaller and less significant than the new, neighboring one.

"We were told that one of your long term goals was to increase trade between The Ottoman Empire and the states along the Indian Ocean, how will this trade operate? Will all be funded equally or do you intend to set up a monopoly like the Europeans have?" A younger noble asked, this one seemed to be a trader and that certainly fit with his question, I took the liberty of answering this one.

"I do not intend to set up a monopoly on trade in general, not to the European extent anyway, however, I do not want my traders cannibalizing each other's business, therefore, for every country along the Indian Ocean that is willing to trade with us, I will award the privilege of trading with them to the first company to approach me in Konstantiniyye that is willing and capable of trading with them - for instance, if you wanted to trade with the Sultanate of Kilwa in Africa and you assembled a company with well equipped ships, I would award you the privilege of trading with them." I explained, the Europeans and their East India Companies sectioned off whole regions, I would be more precious and set up a unique relationship with every power, whether it's a little Sunni state in Africa such as Mogadishu, a Hindu Empire in India, or a Chinese warlord state breaking away from the Ming Dynasty.

Fatimah and I managed to maneuver through the rest of their questions with ease, none of their rest were nearly as difficult or as important for The Ottoman Empire as the first three, the remaining questions were mainly clarifications only our policy on their age old rights and a few questions about why I chose a female Grand Vizier - Fatimah just smirked and I managed to resist rolling my eyes for long enough to answer respectably, after all, I wasn't here to offend my subjects, even if I wanted to...just a little. The nobles ended up pleased, our plans for Arabia were clear, and it was time to leave Arabia and head north. Thus, my new wife and I boarded our carriage and made our way to Jerusalem.

* * *

Jerusalem, the city of immense importance to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, the city which had been the Roman capital of Judea, and the city which had been at the center of the Crusades, a series of religious wars which were really driven by profit and glory, just like most wars, and in that series of wars, the Christians backstabbed each other more often than not, taking lands from the Byzantines and from their fellow Crusaders alike - though granted, the Muslims weren't much better given that the Fatimids and Seljuks thought against one another during the Crusades before both were crushed by the Ayyubids under Saladin who was overthrown by the Mamluks who in turn faced invasions by the Mongol Ilkhanate - now, thankfully, the Crusaders are but a memory with their final strongholds in places like Cyprus, Athens, and Corfu having all fallen to The Ottoman Empire - well, The Knights Hospitaller still harass our navy from their island stronghold of Malta but, I'm in Jerusalem, I'm on vacation with a beautiful woman, I'd rather not think about downright anachronistic Knights still fighting against my Empire in the 17th century - let it go, you were pushed out of the Levant, off of Anatolia, and out of Rhodes too, The Ottoman Empire is here to stay.

Needless to say, such a diverse history has left Jerusalem with a few diverse population - Arabs, Jews, Armenians, Circassians, Turks, Persians, Greeks, even a few descendants of French and Occitan crusaders, Konstantiniyye was diverse but Jerusalem...Jerusalem was even more so, many of these populations reflected the various conquerors who have held the city over the years.

Fatimah and I got off of the carriage and walked around the streets of Jerusalem with our guards, taking in the sights, the Mosques, Churches, and Synagogues of the city, the only place I could think of that was like this were some of the more diverse cities of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth where a Catholic Church, an Orthodox Church, a Synagogue, and the rare Mosque could all be found on the same street. However, something else caught my eye as we wandered through Jerusalem, I saw a white coat shuffle away whenever I turned around, as if as soon as I turned the same person in the same clothes scurried away just out of sight. Perhaps at one point I would've thought nothing of it, however, my husband was assassinated, Spartak Pasha was acting suspicious outside of Muscat, and now, not only did I need to worry about myself, but I needed to worry about Fatimah, the woman who I loved, the woman who I now called my wife. I alerted the Janissary captain in charge of my guards and suddenly my Balkan warriors were on high alert.

The assassin should have been turned off, he should have seen this as certain death, however, as we passed an alley, I turned sharply when I heard a war cry and I saw a white cloaked murderer run out of the alley only for a Serbian born Janissary to impale him with a pike, eliminating the threat. My guards searched his body and found nothing but a spare dagger and a few Ottoman coins - we would find no information from this man. Fatimah and I continued through the city with our guards on high alert, however, no one else dared challenge the Sultana-regent, the Grand Vizier, and their elite Janissary guards. The Ottoman Empire was a powerful civilization, we were the closest to restoring the borders of The Roman Empire at its peak of anyone in history, even the great Emperor Justinian couldn't match up with us land wise - we may not hold Italy or Iberia, however, we hold all of North Africa, we hold the Levant and Mesopotamia, we hold Anatolia, Crimea, and all sorts of land, we even held lands that The Roman Empire never managed to hold such as our Arabian territory and Baku. We were great and powerful, however, despite all that greatness and all that power, The Ottoman Empire was rife with conspiracy and assassinations.

* * *

The minarets howled with the call for evening prayer as we arrived in Damascus, thus far, on this journey, Fatimah and I have had to sleep on the carriage - which caused us to miss the Sinai Peninsula - Fatimah and I wanted to take a look at the narrowest point of the peninsula to create our crossing between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, however, it was the middle of the night and the two of us had to sleep through it, now in Damascus I'd finally get to enjoy a night in bed with my wife. I may not have been sure if I was a Muslim, however, I was reverent enough to not want to have sex in places like Mecca, Medina, or Jerusalem, Fatimah, while not particularly pious, she understood that, while having sex was fantastic, there was a time in place, the place is not the holiest cities in Islam just after the Hajj season. Damascus was a major city, however, it's importance has little to do with Islam itself, sure, it was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate but the Umayyad Caliphate only lasted in Damascus for so long before being overthrown by the Abbasids and left to rule just the Iberian territory. Damascus was still a major city and the capital of our Syria province, but it was not a city that I would mind desecrating, in fact, I think Fatimah and I would have quite a great time desecrating Damascus all night long.

We practically pounced out of the carriage when we arrived in the regional palace where we would be staying, we dismissed all the servants who approached us and we opted not to eat dinner - well, we would be eating, though I don't think that the Syrian nobility would react well to us eating each other on the table...and the floor...and in the chairs...anyway, we managed to politely decline our way through the guards, the servants, and the handmaidens. I found the practice of having your ladies help you dress and undress rather demeaning, for them and for me, they had to pull the clothes off of a grown women and I had to expose myself to random peasant women employed by the palace - obviously I wasn't bothered by the fact that they were women, my problem is that I'm not fully comfortable with my body, especially because of the lingering effects of my pregnancy. I think it's hideous, a scar on a body that should be pure - I wish I could say the first thing inside of me that wasn't my own doing was a pair of Fatimah's fingers, but I was married to the Sultan of The Ottoman Empire and, in order to ensure that my family was safely away in Genoa, I had to perform my wifely duties, even if, then and now, I hated having sex with him.

Insecurities or not, I was with Fatimah and Fatimah was with me, the rings proved it, the sex proved it, the look in her eyes before she shut them and crushed her lips against mine proved it. I kissed Fatimah back as we found our way to the bed, I pushed her down onto the bed and pinned her, climbing over her and straddling her as she giggled and my eyes lit up with lust. This was our second time having sex with one another, but it was just as magical, perhaps more so, because now, nor it meant more, we weren't just the Sultana and the Grand Vizier making love, we were wife and sure - sure no religion may recognize our love, sure our marriage ceremony was rushed to say the least and far, far from conventional, however, to us, it was real and that mattered far more than what a thousand Churches, a million Mosques, and every religion in the world would say to us. My wife and I spent our whole night in Damascus making love, I can think of no better way for the two of us to spend our time in Damascus - I'm sure the city's nobles could, I'm sure our allies could, I'm sure our enemies could, but none of that mattered, nothing else mattered to me because I was with my wife in the most intimate way possible.

* * *

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers were the birthplace of civilization, the first city-states of the Sumerians emerged on these rivers, the great Empires of the Babylonians and the Assyrians emerged on these rivers, the Persians became a global superpower after conquering these rivers, Alexander's general Seleucus made his capital on these rivers, and The Abbasid Caliphate made their capital on these rivers, choosing the ancient city of Baghdad. Baghdad would become the center of the Islamic Golden Age with its great mathematicians, scientists, and the great House of Wisdom, meanwhile, for the Christians, Baghdad was the home of their Church of the East, the offspring of the Nestorian Church of The Roman Empire, however, that Church did not survive long enough to became a part of the new Roman Empire because Timur, the great Turkic conqueror and my son's namesake, during his conquest of Persia, sacked the city of Baghdad, eradicating the Christians and bringing an end to Baghdad's reign as the center of Islamic civilization. The city may have peaked long ago, however, it is still an incredibly important city and the heart of the eastern expanse of The Ottoman Empire.

"Follow me," Fatimah grabbed my hand and led me off as soon as we got off of the carriage, she had a plan and she's clearly worked very hard on it - I could see that the guards knew exactly where we were going and they did follow, however, they kept their distance, staying just far enough to give us privacy but close enough that these Janissaries could leap into action at a moment's notice should anything happen to us. I had a feeling we would be safe though, especially since Fatimah lead me into and through a Mosque, ending up with the two of us in a secluded courtyard in the heart of Baghdad.

It was secluded, however, on the inside, it was absolutely beautiful, this Mosque courtyard was decorated with blue and white Persian tiles connecting gardens of wonderfully green and wonderfully exotic plants blooming in reds, pinks, yellows, and violets, All around the courtyard were passages from the Book written in Arabic and above the sides of the courtyard the minarets rose triumphantly, reaching for the sky, crowning the beautiful blue dome rising from the center of the mosque. This was an incredibly beautiful place, however, the most beautiful thing here, by far, was the woman in a blue, cyan, and red dress with her hands behind her back and a soft smile on her face - my Fatimah, my wife, my heroine, my confidante, my everything.

"Fatimah...?" I didn't need any more words to ask my question, she was so beautiful, the city was so beautiful, this situation was so beautiful, what did I do to deserve this? Had I really been killed during the Ottoman conquest of Theodoro? Perhaps my marriage had been purgatory and now I've finally ascended to heaven, perhaps I was alive and being with Fatimah was just better than heaven, perhaps it's only natural that, at the peak of The Ottoman Empire, I reach the peak of my life, seeing a sight that will never, ever be matched.

"We married the Christian way in Cairo, let's marry the Islamic way in Baghdad." Fatimah explained, giving me a bouquet of blue powers that matched her dress and the Persian tiles of this wonderful Mosque. She went through an abridged version of the marriage rites in Arabic before kissing me on the cheeks three times and the forehead once before finally pecking me on the lips and smiling, it was surprisingly simple, but to be fair, the official Islamic marriage I had with my husband was so simple that I was legitimately shocked - then again, I do suppose you'd want marriages to be quick in a society that allows polygamy.

"What about my dowry?" I smirked.

"Was my body in Damascus not good enough, my Sultana?" Fatimah smirked after leaning in and whispering that into my ear, she definitely won this round, I won't deny that, however, I certainly won't complain, after all, with the tingles going down my spine I'd say that we both won here. We catered to my Christian past with a Christian style abridged wedding in Cairo and we catered to Fatimah's Islamic past and sorta present with an Islamic style abridged wedding in Baghdad, now, we were wife and wife no matter how we look at it, despite the fact that no one recognized it and no one else knew a thing about it, I knew that I would be able to die knowing that I married Fatimah not once but twice - that's something most men and women in the world would kill for, regardless of their orientation, Fatimah was intoxicating and, with her, I was glad to get intoxicated.

* * *

Two marriages, a night of making love, a religious pilgrimage, an interrogation by Arabian nobles, and a thwarted assassination attempt - our tour of The Ottoman Empire had been an eventful one, however, like all good things, it must eventually come to an end, thus, our carriage took us through the streets of Konstantiniyye and back to Topkapi Palace. Fatimah and I had left the Ottoman capital as unproven and, in the eyes of many, inexperienced leaders, however, we returned victorious, we had crushed the Arabians and we had repelled the Portuguese, all of Arabia was now ours and ours alone and we made our success clear to all who would see it, we should be loved, we should be seen as the ones who brought The Ottoman Empire to its greatest extent in history, we should be seen as the greatest women in history. I'm sure some do see us that way, in fact, I'd wager to say most of Europe had dismissed me at first but now they were taking me dead seriously, however, Fatimah and I were not loved, we had many, many enemies.

Those enemies were not sitting idle either, as, when Fatimah and I arrived at the gates of Topkapi Palace, we were not welcomed by Janissaries, we were not welcome by a great crowd of adoring citizens, instead, we were welcomed by a smug Spartak Pasha and a number of Ottoman generals and elites, mostly Turks but their ranks were filled out by Arabs and Europeans - whatever this was, it wasn't good.

* * *

Well that was a bit of a cliffhanger, sorry! I'd say it wasn't on purpose but...it was. We'll see what awaits Fatimah and Helena in chapter twenty, nineteen will be a Russia chapter. As I said in my first author's note, I should have a Star Wars story up soon!

Ciao!


	19. Rise of The Russian War Machine

Okie dokie everyone, last week I posted the first chapter of my SWTOR fanfiction The Armored Berserkers but this week we're back in everyone's favorite setting - 17th century Europe! As Sultana Helena and Fatimah return to Konstantiniyye from their tour of The Ottoman Empire, Tsarina Anastasia and her allies raise a force that hopes to finally turn the tide against The Ottoman Empire once and for all, war is on the horizon and the Tsardom of Russia will be fully prepared!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XIX.

Rise of The Russian War Machine.

* * *

I sat on my throne in the Kremlin with Krystyna at my left and Yelizaveta to my right, standing just on the other side of the unoccupied throne where my consort would sit - a part of me wanted to tell Krystyna to sit down in the throne, she was the new Tsarevna of Russia in all but name, however, I knew that letting her take the seat would only cause some chaperone to enter the room and inform me that I'm breaking tradition - I wish I could simply respond with "So what?" but that would merely start a scandal and that is not what I needed right now, I needed the full support of Russia at my back to solidify my absolutism and to wage war against The Ottoman Empire. My throne room would be much grander in the new Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, it will be a magnificent baroque creation, one of the newest, largest, and most expensive creations in all of Europe - artists and architects from all over the world will flock to my palace and my White Square to see what Andrea and Camillo, along with their many apprentices, assistants, and students, built in Moscow - the new center of Russian civilization will come, but for now, I had to content myself with the Kremlin, the fact that I had Krystyna and Yelizaveta at my side did make this easier.

Seeing we were alone I wrapped my arm around Krystyna's waist - the Polish noblewoman smiled softly and tried not to show any more reaction, meanwhile, in the corner of my eye I saw a bemused Yelizaveta with a soft smile on her lips roll her eyes, now, now, I can't have such a mild reaction, the Tsarina of Russia deserves to be acknowledge properly and her actions cannot go unnoticed, therefore, my hand slipped down from the heterochromatic blonde's waist to her rear end, feeling the radiant warm skin below her white, red, and gold dress. I felt her stiffen and choke out a giggle before relaxing into the touch with a much more complete smile on her face, that was the reaction I was looking for, unfortunately, I couldn't say the same about Yelizaveta's reaction. The smile fell from my little sister's face and was replaced by a sad, lonely, almost jealous expression - I was about tor turn to her and try and cheer her up when Terezia came marching down the hall leading up to the throne room. Krystyna shot her relative a smile, Yelizaveta took a deep breath, smiled, and waited for her lover to join her side. however, Terezia knew that she had to put business before pleasure.

"Generals Mikhailovich, Feodorov, and Perevernykruchenko have arrived, they are waiting in the war room." Terezia announced, I had assigned her with gathering my veteran generals from the war against Poland, we were going to draft preliminary plans for war before a larger meeting in Konigsberg - in city untouched by my war against Poland, I would meet with Jan the Prussian, a representative of the Portuguese navy, the King of Georgia, as well as the Prince of Transylvania - Terezia had managed to arrange for her relative in Transylvania, a man who reluctantly swears fealty to both the Habsburgs and the Turks while presiding over a Hungarian ruling class reigning over a state predominantly made up of Romanians. The Prince has not promised anything yet but I am confident that we can manage to convince him to join our cause, especially if doing so will guarantee his independence - additionally, this will benefit me by creating a link between Lady Krystyna and Transylvania, potentially allowing her to inherit a chunk of Hungary without an unnecessary war. That meeting would come later and I was looking forward to it, however, before we could win over our allies we needed a plan to present to them, therefore, I got up and Krystyna and I went directly to the war room whilst Terezia and Liz shared a kiss before deciding to take the scenic route hand in hand - they wanted to be a part of the meeting, however, they could skip the formalities and introductions, I could hardly blame them, I would too if I could.

Instead, the two of us entered the war room grandly, the Tsarina of Russia dressed in a green, black, gold, and red dress and the future King of Poland in her white, red, and gold one, she was a mere noble for now and couldn't match the crown on my head or the scepter in my hand, however, I was certain that she would one day wear many crowns and hold many scepters, she was only sixteen after all and she did very well for herself by allowing herself to becoming ingratiated with the Russian royal family, the white eagle has befriended the tremendous black bear to the east and, for the first time in centuries, Poland and Russia are allies once again, that will allow Krystyna to go far, she will be strong. Of course, this will benefit Russia too, not only will this secure our western border and act as a vehicle for expanding our influence deep into Europe, but, much like in this war, we will be able to count on Polish aid whenever we would need it.

The Polish army wasn't much right now, we had crippled it in the war and even before then their army had grown complacent after nearly reaching Moscow, not even the loss of Smolensk could drive The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to modernize their armies, however, my father put his heart and soul into the army, creating a modern legion of killing machines and, much like the Roman legions tearing through barbarian lands, our armies used their technological advantage to brutal efficiency - now obviously the difference between Rome and the barbarians of Europe was different than twenty years, however, the same principle applies, we fought better and with more versatile weapons than our opponents, that allowed our stunning quickness in Byelorussia and the Ukraine. I wish that our war against The Ottoman Empire could be that easy, however, as I once again met with my three generals in the very same war room, I knew that this war wouldn't be nearly as simply, we'd have to fight The Ottomans in Crimea, in the Caucasus, and the war would very likely expand into the Balkans as well.

I didn't desire any Balkan land for myself, not yet anyway, however, I did wish to return Moldovia to the Polish crown, potentially bringing two of the three Romanian Principalities under Krystyna's control, albeit Transylvania was ruled by Hungarians and would most likely remain that way whilst Moldavia will likely become a Romanian state under Polish influence just as it had been prior to Ottoman control. The Poles would play a decisive role in this war, this war would lay the foundation for Krystyna's eventual Kingdoms and defeating The Ottomans will restore confidence in Poland's armies after I crushed them, preparing them for their onslaught through Europe - now I'm sure the Polish noblewoman intended to modernize her army anyway, but being empowered by victory certainly couldn't hurt. Poland would play a role, as would the Georgians, as would the Portuguese navy, and as would the rest of our allies, however, Russia will of course play the main role in this war. I already had a rough idea of what I wanted to do - I wanted to have the Turks declare the war so that I could justify vast changes in the balance of power to my European powers - the thing about European power is that everyone wanted to see The Ottomans defeated, however, no one wanted to see anyone else benefit from the destruction of The Ottoman Empire, thus, the Turk will always exist, however, that did not mean that I could not trim their borders.

The Turks would be the attacker by law, however, I will immediately go on the offensive, sending vast amounts of troops into Crimea and on a two pronged assault into the Ottoman Caucasus, one army attacking from Georgia and the other would hug the corridor between the mountains and the Caspian Sea before emerging to besiege Baku - I did not want to send troops through the mountains as I intended to attack early in the spring of 1623 and thus the mountains will still be cold and inhospitable, I'd lose thousands of men if I went through there, however, Circassia to Abkhazia in Georgia and the east coast of the Caspian Sea provided an opportunity to avoid brutal conditions and deadly attrition. We would have to lay siege to cities like Baku, Yerevan, and Theodoro, however, that is nothing that the Tsardom of Russia cannot handle, especially not with the backing of a diverse set of allies.

"My Tsarina," General Perevernykruchenko greeted with a brief bow, the other generals following suit, even Mikhailovich "Lady Terezia explained that you already have a rough plan for the war, care to share it with us?"

I nodded and explained my plan to the generals, beginning with the Ottoman declaration of war and the assault on Crimea with the simultaneous two pronged invasion of the Caucasus, I laid out my plans for smashing the Ottoman fortresses in the region and establishing a supply line from Moscow to Tiflis in Georgia and beyond via Tsaritsyn, another branch would extended from Tsaritsyn to the Crimean peninsula. Once the initial targets in Theodoro, Baku, and Yerevan were dealt with, the Crimean army group will join up with the Poles and hopefully the Transylvanians in the Balkan peninsula where they will likely face the bulk of The Ottoman army, should it be necessary, that are to be capable of advancing on Konstantiniyye itself with the Portuguese navy joined with Russian ships to blockade the city, meanwhile, the two Caucasian armies will split up, one shall lay siege to the Ottoman border fortress of Tabriz while another with target Trabzon, the former site of Trebizond, one of the final Byzantine hold out states. Now, obviously we couldn't plan out exactly when and where the Ottoman armies would be, however, we could be confident in our ability to face them head on so, with their armies pushed back, an undefended border with a vengeful Persia, and an army on the fringes of the Turkish heartland in Anatolia, the Turks will have no choice but to sue for peace. I may not know Sultana Helena personally, but I doubt she is the type of person to drag out a war unnecessarily long, after all, she was willing to accept a ceasefire with the Portuguese rather than fighting until an actual treaty could be achieved - I thought Poland until I had everything I wanted, Helena sued for peace early, she laid out her hand in her previous war and I did the same, unfortunately for her, my hand is far better at waging war then her hand, thus, I am sure that we can pull this plan off in some capacity.

"So, how do you intend to goad the Turks into declaring war?" a somewhat skeptical Mikhailovich asked, I was hardly surprised that the man as a skeptic, even if I was honored to learn how to be a general from him, in fact, perhaps a skeptic is the only person who can be trusted to teach the Tsarina of Russia without being a blind sycophant, in any case, his question was valid and I could answer.

"We'll amass our armies at the border and force the Turks into declaring war, I don't care how blatant our aggression is so long as the Turks take the legal responsibility of declaring war and I'm certain that they will, Sultana Helena knows as well as everyone that war is inevitable and she probably has her own plans for this war, she will declare it." I explained, everyone will know that this was a war of Russian aggression but as long as the centuries old custom of declared wars stood firm, I would be able to claim the Turks responsible and that would be as much justification as I needed, besides, with the war in the German lands most of anyone who would step in is preoccupied and, even after that war concludes, I fully expect that the Austrians, the French, the English and the other opportunistic Empires of Europe will want to divide up Ottoman lands between themselves anyway.

"Very well," Mikhailovich accepted, he understood it was dirty politics and, quite frankly, he didn't want anything to do with it, neither did Feodorov really, who would have thought that, of all these generals, the Cossack would be the one most ingratiated with Muscovite politics? Nevertheless, Perevernykruchenko's focus was on war first and foremost, same with Mikhailovich, and the same with Feodorov, thus, the generals got to work tweaking my plan and making it reality. Perevernykruchenko would take command of the Army of the Ukraine once again and lead them into the Pontic Steppe and the Crimean Peninsula itself, capturing Ottoman Crimea, meanwhile, Feodorov would lead the newly formed Army of the Caucasus into Baku, and finally, Mikhailovich and I would lead the Russian Imperial Army through Georgia to Yerevan and Trabzon. Over the winter, the armies would be built up to 25,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and a 100 cannons each, 30,000 men and 100 cannons was nowhere near the largest army Europe has seen, however, it's higher than average and, based on how many troops the Turks used against the Portuguese and the Arabs, we would be fine.

The Army of the Ukraine would be reinforced by the Cossacks Perevernykruchenko was able to tame, the Army of the Caucasus would fight on the fringes of The Ottoman Empire and thus shouldn't require aid, meanwhile, the Russian Imperial Army would have Georgia's forces attached to them. I'm sure that Sultana Helena will lead an army in Crimea because she's from Theodoro and that's one of the main theaters of this war, I'll bet on that, meanwhile, another Turkish army will likely face us somewhere around Armenia, either facing the Imperial Army or the Caucasus one, and finally, the stiffest Ottoman resistance will no doubt be in the Balkans. That will be an issue for the Poles and the Transylvanians, perhaps even Perevernykruchenko if he secures Crimea while fighting continues in the Balkans.

"So, you intend for Poland to take the brunt of the fight in Moldavia and beyond the Danube?" Terezia asked, unsurprisingly for a diplomat, she was eager to focus on what she had to get our allies to agree to, despite the fact that this meeting was supposed to focus on what Russia will do, however, I hardly blamed her, it's pretty clear what Russia will do, it's less clear what roles our allies will play.

"Yes Terezia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will lead the onslaught on Moldavia, ideally, they will be reinforced by Transylvania and, if Portugal does send a land force after all, I will assign them to the army group in Moldavia." I explained, Terezia knew what she had to do, her job was to win over the Romanian Prince who would meet us in Konigsberg and she had to convince her former associates in Portugal to send an expeditionary force as well as their navy aid - I'm sure that the Hungarian raised in Portugal now serving Russia will be able to work miracles, I believed in her - this would be the most diverse army group, that wasn't the land that I wanted so I wasn't sending my own troops, Poland wanted Moldovia and I would make sure they get it, however, they're the ones who have to sweat blood, tears, and iron to win it, I felt that was only fair.

"Who will command that army?" Feodorov asked, it donned on me then that, with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in a subservient position, I had enough clout to assign a commander to their army, regardless of what Jan the Prussia wanted - the fact that he failed in the war against me would support my cause. I smirked, I knew just how I could assert my authority over my western neighbor, I knew how I could show Jan the Prussian who really held the power, and I knew just how I could further my plans for Poland, for Transylvania, and for Krystyna. Thankfully, the heterochromatic noblewoman had the same idea and she made no secret of her intentions. The white, red, and gold dress, the smirk on her face, and the wonderful mind fueling all of it made Krystyna look more like a Queen than any crown or scepter could, she was born to rule, she was born to crush her enemies under foot, and she would transform central Europe, from the Black Sea to the Baltic and from the Baltic to the Adriatic...god I loved that woman.

"I will take command." Krystyna said confidant, a green eye and a hazel eye acted in perfect unison as they darted from skeptical general to skeptical general, daring them to challenge her, who would? Would it be Mikhailovich, the man who was willing to challenge me? Would it be Perevernykruchenko, the man with the greatest knowledge of the political situation who likely knew of the tension between Lady Krystyna and King Jan, or would it be Feodorov, the man who asked this question to begin with? In the end, none of them did - part of me found it funny that a sixteen year old foreigner evidently had more sway over my generals than I, a nineteen year old Tsarina, or perhaps they didn't care enough about Polish and Moldovian lives to push the issue, in any case, the protege of Sigismund Augustus II - or Zygmunt August II as she would call him - will lead the diverse force, she would have to rely heavily on the lessons from her deceased Wasa mentor and on Poland's commanders, but she would manage that and, when Johann von Konigsberg finally kicked the bucket, this war would put Lady Krystyna in an excellent position to be elected King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania.

Thus, our plans were set, I made sure Terezia would fine tune everything just slightly before we presented our agenda to our allies in Konigsberg, however, besides that, we were set until the spring of 1623, Russia was prepared for war and, with one more gathering in Konigsberg, our allies would be prepared too. The mighty Russian bear would soon meet the Turk in battle, the fate of eastern Europe would be decided, would The Ottomans dominate or would the Tsardom of Russia finally ascend to her birthright as the superpower at the crossroads of Europe and Asia?

* * *

Three women in dresses walked through the halls of the royal retreat of Kolomenskoye, on the left stood the Tsarevna of Russia, Maria Davidovna, a Georgian Princess and mother of two of the most powerful women Europe will ever know, she wore a black dress with a thin purple stripe going down each side and dotted with silver and some gold jewelry. On the left stood the mighty heiress of Russia who will one day have a great foundation to build her Empire from, Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna, the young blonde wore a purple dress with darker purple accents along with golden jewelry. Finally, in the center, stood I, Tsarina Anastasia of Russia, the woman who held all the power right now but would have nothing if not for the women on either side of me, I wore blue and red dress with white trim and golden jewelry, including a double-headed Russian eagle over my left breast. My mother was a wise woman, one who made mistakes, but a wise woman nonetheless, I could count on her, meanwhile, Yelizaveta was smarter than she let on, she was far more prepared to rule Russia than anyone else gave her credit for, I could count on her too. I can't believe that some horrible, incestuous feelings threatened to change this dynamic. Fortunately, being with Krystyna knowing that Yelizaveta was with Terezia did temper those feelings to the point that they were harmless, but knowing that they still existed somewhere deep inside me still bothered me, especially because I was sure that Liz felt the same way, we have not seen the last of this.

"Well I'm glad that the two of you are happy," my mother smiled softly after I praised Krystyna, I really was happy with her, not least of all because she's done far more to temper these incestuous feelings than either Liz or I were able to accomplish, after all, our best ideas were cuddling to take the edge off the feelings and then avoiding each other, neither worked well, however, me finding Krystyna and her finding Terezia worked wonders in comparison - the feelings were still there, but with Krystyna, I had someone just as good as Yelizaveta without the baggage of incest "How about you Yelizaveta? You're of age, have you considered a nice Prince or a notable nobleman? You're a beautiful young woman from a powerful country, you could have anyone you wanted."

"Well..." Yelizaveta began, we shared a glance, the question was obvious in her eyes, she wanted to know if I was going to give her any support, I nodded to her and offered a supportive smile as we continued our walk through the retreat. I think that our mother will handle it better this time, she's gotten more used to homosexuality thanks to me being with Krystyna, especially given the fact that Sofiya was still there to provide us with heirs and, based on her reaction to my secret, she was clearly a heterosexual "I think that I've already found someone right here in Moscow who is smart, intelligent, beautiful, a person who is an asset to the state in every sense of the word, there is just one thing mother..."

"Well...I can hardly say I'm surprised." My mother responded just after Yelizaveta trailed off, Liz didn't need to say anything more, my mother put two and two together the moment Liz said "person" instead of "man" and, just as I predicted, she seemed to take it better, however, my mother revealed something to us that I honestly would've have known otherwise "When the two of you were little, you two always enjoyed touching each other, hugging each other, Anastasia would always place the role of a brave Prince and you would be the Princess that needed saving - you two would even kiss when you were little, did you know that? Well, eventually, you two grew out of that, however, when Anastasia came out to make with her sexuality, I suspected you would share those sentiments, you two were always much more interested in girls than boys."

Oh if only she knew, we never did grow out of it after all - I had forgotten about our childhood antics, I thought they were nothing but little cute moments, however, putting those moments through the context of our mutual sexuality, they took on a less than innocent angle, it wasn't two sisters playing around, it was two young sisters with incestuous feelings from a young age that never did learn how to deal with them...so it was more than just Minsk, it was more than just the book, this is just who we are, we're incestuous people...no. No, I'm not, I'm with Lady Krystyna, I'm happy with her, I'm lucky to have her, I will make her into a female Charlemagne, and Yelizaveta had Terezia, we would be happy this way, things would be better this way. These feelings were nothing more than a childhood crush that refused to die thanks to a sheltered upbringing, but now that we're adults, now that we're with women who actually love who we are, we can forget all about that and, maybe, eventually, these feelings will go away and we can be at peace.

* * *

Krystyna, Terezia, Yelizaveta, and I arrived in Konigsberg, our generals remained in Russia, they wouldn't be needed here, we already got their input, this was just about our allies, hence, Terezia was here, she was our diplomat, Krystyna was here because she would take command of the offensive in Moldavia, and Yelizaveta was here because I was training her to be the next Tsarina of Russia. We got off the carriage and entered the Teutonic Palace, four incredibly powerful, incredibly influential women were about to make strides, we were assembling a mighty league to push back The Ottoman Empire. A pair of Prussian guards bowed before us before opening the double doors to the conference room, we took our seats in the table as sixteen Russian guards in their green, white, gold, and red uniforms made a powerful show of force, Jan the Prussian was King of Poland and he felt more at home in Konigsberg than we ever would in Warsaw, but it didn't matter if he was in Warsaw or Konigsberg, I reigned supreme over him and all Poland, all Lithuania.

Jan the Prussian is the one who sat opposite of us, he shot a brief glare at Krystyna but didn't dare say something, he knew that Krystyna was under my protection and he knew that I wouldn't exactly be devastated if he died, nevertheless, the German King of Poland wore a silver coat over a glossy red shirt, a he had a white and gold sash over his torso and he wore the dress crown of Polish royalty along with a scepter, he scanned our guards suspiciously but, once again, he didn't dare say anything, he thought that having all his trusted Prussian guards with him would be a powerful show of force, but between the four in here and two outside of the door, we had an advantage of ten. Finally, his gaze rested on me, the woman with all the power who knew it, the woman who was literally smirking at him with knowing blue eyes but, predictably, he still did not dare say anything.

I turned to the Portuguese representative on the left, a typical Iberian nobleman, not particularly tall nor muscular but fit, dressed elegantly, and proudly wearing a silky smooth mustache. He was no Terezia but he would do, besides, I heard from the woman whose shoes he was filling that Portugal did indeed manage to scrounge together an expeditionary force made up of some survivors from the war in Arabia, these were men who were hungry for revenge against The Ottoman Empire which had bested them at Bahrain and at Muscat. I turned to the first figure on the right, my uncle, King Constantine IV of Georgia, he was a black haired man with long hair and a growing beard, an ancient crown on his head but blue eyes practically growing with life and with ambition, the same blue eyes that my sisters and I wore, the ones we inherited from our mother's side, he would suit me well as he and his troops were attached to my Russian Imperial Army as we campaigned through Georgia, Armenia, and Anatolia. The final figure, furthest to the right was Prince Bathory Matyas of Transylvania, dressed in a black coat, the man distantly related to both Krystyna and Terezia shot a smile at his relatives before nodding at me, the respect was clear - Terezia told me that, try as she might, the Prince wasn't willing to agree to anything without meeting me face to face, well, lucky for him, this was his chance.

I was about to begin because I thought that everyone was good at ready, however, one final guest arrived, taking the seat furthest to the left, surprisingly, it was William Yveson of all people, the trader who set up the Black Sea Company in Ochakiv, clearly intending to profit off of the Russian acquisition of Crimea, however, I had no clue that he intended to actually involve himself in the acquisition - I glanced at Terezia but the Hungarian nearly shrugged, she didn't know either - nevertheless, this could prove intriguing, it suited his economic interests and England was certainly no slouch at war, as the French and the Spanish can attest to, however, I was confused why England took an interest in this war at all and why Yveson hadn't gone through Terezia like everyone else had. All in all, his presence was unexpected, however, it was not necessarily unwelcome.

"Gentlemen, you come from various lands with various interests, I do not intend to keep you from any longer than we have to, however, together, we can turn the tide against The Ottoman Empire, we have the resources, we have the manpower, and, I think I speak for all of us, Catholic, Orthodox, whatever, when I say that we fight because we believe that God is with us. Divinity is a great thing, divinity is what separates us rulers from mere peasants, however, we are blessed to have impress facts on our side too. The Tsardom of Russia is going to war with three armies across three different fronts, these armies will be made up of 30,000 men each and we'll bring a total of nearly 300 cannons into this war, we are also attempting to have fifty war-ready ships in the Black Sea by the Spring of 1623, currently, we can send in thirty-nine warships, if we convert merchant craft, we can have nearly another hundred ships prepared by the spring. if you may, please state what each of you and the groups you represent are willing to contribute to the war effort, any and all help is appreciated." I brought the session into play, being entirely honest about Russia's numbers, we had no reason to lie, we were entering this war with great numbers of troops and we would bring in a brand new Russian navy, an untested one, but one that will be reinforced by tried and tested Portuguese craft.

"Well my Tsarina, in honor of our new deal, I have decided that it is in our mutual interest that I do my part to help you expand your control over the Black Sea, thus, I took a brief trip back to England and, after a little bit of work, I was able to recruit 5,000 volunteers, mostly Scotsmen, and I've outfitted them according to the standard of the English army, they will arrive on my company's vessels and serve you in whatever capacity you think is best. I would offer my ships, however, my ships struggle to pass through the Dardanelles as it is, if they engage the Turks, that would jeopardize our whole deal." Yveson explained, I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't going to get any naval help but I understand his reasoning, besides, I didn't know he'd involve himself in this war so I didn't calculate any English ships in my plans for this war, having volunteers from England and Scotland would only be a bonus. I would attach them to the army group in Moldavia, they'll be just across the Danube from the Ottoman Balkans so they can expect to encounter a significant force and, based on the quality of the Polish and Lithuanian troops in the last war, they could use all the help that they can get. I am confident that the Poles will win, after all, they're looking for a victory to put their country back on the map, however, I certainly didn't mind stacking the odds in my favor as much as possible. I was thankful for William's volunteers, they'll serve me well.

"My Tsarina," the Portuguese representative bowed, I had a fairly good idea of what his contribution looked like, however, this meeting wasn't for me, it was for my allies, including the Prince of Transylvania who wasn't committed yet, however, if the numbers looked good, if victory seemed like it was guaranteed, then the Prince would jump in, he wanted to guarantee his independence and he thought that he could accomplish that with my forces...oh little did he know...In any case, the Transylvanian pawn will have his chance soon, right now, it was the Portuguese pawn who was speaking "His esteemed King Afonso of Portugal is proud to send 10,000 infantrymen and fifty-six warships, our contribution will be mainly naval, we intend to force our way through the straits and into the Black Sea, we expect to lose a lot of ships on our way into the sea, however, we've confident that we'll have more than enough ships in the Black Sea to help you take control of those waters."

"Thank you, the Portuguese contribution is appreciated." I shot a warm smile at the Iberian before turning to the man opposite of me, Jan the Prussian. The Portuguese contribution was naval with an appreciated expeditionary force, however, not a particularly large one, the force Yveson was sending was even smaller and would only play a token role in the war, the contributions of Transylvania and Georgia would be larger, however, they were still minor plays in this war, the Tsardom of Russia would take the bulk of the fighting, however, I needed The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to pull its weight, so far, between Portugal and the British volunteers, I could count on 15,000 men, all infantry, in Moldavia. I believed that Krystyna could one day be an excellent general, I believed that she could eventually work miracles on the battlefield, but there isn't a single general in the world who would saunter into The Ottoman Empire with fifteen thousand men and expect a serious chance at victory, I needed many, many Polish and Lithuanian boots on the ground in Moldavia and Jan the Prussian needed to give me those troops, otherwise, I had no problem tramping over his capital again and, this time, Konigsberg won't be spared.

"The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has lost immense amounts of land and blood in the last century, this has been a long series of humiliating defeats, terrible blunders, and horrible timing, however, we are not blind to the opportunity here, we see that we may finally regain land, therefore, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is willing to provide 20,000 men, 5,000 cavalry, and fifty cannons in our Armia z Besarabia. I will lead this troops myself." Jan the Prussian explained, he made it clear that he is in this war to redeem Poland and not because of my authority, now, I was already going to put Krystyna in command of the now forty thousand men in Moldavia but Jan the Prussian now deserved getting his army ripped out from under him, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's redemption will come when I decide that the country will redeem itself and it will be Krystyna Wlodzislawa who redeems her country, not this German wretch, I will decide who will command the Armia z Besarabia, not this defeated, pathetic little man, and I will decide whether or not Poland gets Bessarabia or not at the end of this war - Krystyna will, I promise that, but Jan the Prussian doesn't know that, therefore, I will enjoy punishing his arrogance.

"Actually Jan, you will be a general for the Armia z Besarabia, however, due to the Portuguese and the British contributions, as well as any other forces that will join in the fight, the army group as a whole will be under the command of someone who I trust dearly, someone who I know soldiers from every corner of Europe will be able to respect - Lady Krystyna." I smirked as his expression hardened, I heard him inhale sharply and I could see him pulling his trembling hands into tight fists, I heard a quiet yet piercing laugh from Krystyna, she was enjoying this far more than she should, not that I was going to stop her. Jan the Prussian looked like he was finally gonna object, however, as his eyes quickly darted around my guards, as each and every other person at the table refused to jump in to save him, and as he crumbled beneath my glowing blue eyes, he backed down once again. I giggled myself very briefly before getting back to business, the power dynamic was clear to everyone now, Jan, try as he might, would have to ask "how high?" if I told him to jump. I turned to King Constantine IV of Georgia, the bearded King wore a bemused expression and, again, I already knew what he'd contribute, the troops would be attached to my Russian Imperial Army.

"The Kingdom of Georgia will raise 15,000 men and 25 cannons for my niece's cause." My uncle explained simply with a hint of pride in his voice, I didn't need his approval, I didn't need anyone's approval, I knew that I've come far, however, it was still nice and it was certainly appreciated, in any case, I knew what I'd have in Baku, I knew what I'd have in Armenia, I knew what I'd have in Crimea, I knew what I'd have in the Black Sea, and I knew most of what I'd have in Moldavia, however, the moment of truth came, it was time to see if Transylvania would join our cause or not. I turned to the ruler of the Principality of Transylvania, this was his chance to shake off both The Ottomans and Austria, he would trade his masters for a Russian mistress, however, I wanted to see Transylvania grow into a unified Kingdom of Hungary and I wanted a Hungarian composite monarchy that reigned over Croatia as well, I wanted it in Krystyna's hands, but that's still his flesh and blood relative if from a different house, he could either see his realm flounder as Vienna and Konstantiniyye battled over who would puppet him or he could let Krystyna reform the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, the choice was obvious, even if he didn't quite understand just what he was choosing.

For a small state like Transylvania, an alliance with Russia was incredibly useful, however, for a large state like Russia, an alliance with Transylvania was useless unless I intended to turn it into more, this was not an equal partnership, Transylvania was a step towards Krystyna's Hungarian Crown which would in turn be a vehicle for spreading Russian influence, it was simple, Prince Matyas thought he was getting an ally, however, he was really putting his country's future in my hands, therefore, I would mold it into what I wanted it to be, regardless of Matyas' own ambitions and goals. I think he knew that too, hence his reluctance, however, eventually he accepted, he realized that letting his state prosper in Krystyna's hands under my influence was better than letting two foreign powers fight over which one got to annex his Principality.

"I pledge eight thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry to Krystyna's army group." Prince Matyas promised, he was committed to war and, whether or not he knew it, he signed away his state's future, Transylvania would fall to Krystyna when Matyas died, regardless of whether or not the Prince had children or heirs, Krystyna would then conquer the Pannonian basin and the Adriatic coast, recreating the Lands of the Hungarian Crown, she would be Queen of Hungary and Queen of Croatia, in addition to being King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuanian, in addition to wherever her dynastic claim to Bohemia and her circumstantial claim to Naples will take her. she will go far. I smiled at my sixteen year old lover, in a few months time she would be a seventeen year old commanding Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians from Galicia, Prussians, Transylvanians, Portuguese, and even volunteers from England and Scotland, a fittingly diverse army for a woman with incredibly diverse claims all over eastern, central, and southern Europe, claims I knew that she would realize.

Thus, The League of Konigsberg was born, The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Portugal, The Kingdom of Georgia, and The Principality of Transylvania were united, together we would stop the great Turkish horde in its tracks and retake the good and Christian lands of Europe, with this first step, the tide of European history will change forever, the enemy will be pushed off of Crimea, back from the Caucasus, and out of Moldavia, it would be a humiliating defeat and, as I glanced at the beautiful woman who will one day rule over Transylvania, I knew that The Ottomans will be pushed back again and again, this humiliating defeat was not the final showdown, this was only the beginning of a long decline for the Turks. I know it's arrogant to say, but when I glance around at my allies and at our numbers, I know that our victory is practically inevitable, the Turks don't stand a chance.

* * *

I snuggled deeper into bed as I began to stir, expecting to feel a warm, beautiful Pole in my grasp, however, she had evidently gotten out of bed, I immediately got up and went to rectify this, no one gets out of my bed without my permission, she needed to get punished. I smirked as I slipped into a gold robe - most of my clothes were gold, black, purple, red, or some combination thereof, I mean these were the colors of the Tsardom of Russia and, as the Tsarina, I wanted to fit the part, also, I liked those colors and I had the authority to execute anyone who disagreed with me - now I wasn't going to be so arbitrary as to use my power to execute someone over something as insignificant as fashion, that was beneath me, however, I could, that alone is enough to justify my fashion sense. In any case, wrapped up in the golden robe I set off to find my Polish lover, wondering where Krystyna had gotten to.

I checked every room of my grand bedroom before leaving the room all together, exiting out into the hallway. I wasn't quite on my tip-toes but I was sure to walk quietly, it was relatively early in the morning and I really didn't want to encounter anyone considering the fact that I was naked under my robe. Well there wouldn't be a problem if I saw Yelizaveta but considering the horrible feelings, maybe running into my sister while naked and in a mood wasn't exactly the best idea, but that's neither here nor there. To my left was most of the rest of the Kolomenskoye complex, however, to the right, I could feel the crisp air of a cold, Muscovite morning, I headed that direction. Heading down the hall, through two bends, and down a small flight of stairs I eventually found Krystyna, wrapped up in nothing but a red and white robe holding the door ever so slightly open and looking out, I was light on my feet and the sound of the wind blowing through the little opening covered my approach as I reached Krystyna, wrapping my arms around her waist and blowing hot air onto her neck before kissing it, I heard a soft moan escape her lips and that only motivated me further, however, I was an attentive lover so I did glance briefly at the opening in the door to find that the first snow of the year had fallen over the night. A small icing of snow clung to the ground and to roods and trees but it wasn't even enough to cover up the blades of grass dotting out from their white blanket. I rested a hand on the door but didn't push, however, Krystyna eventually relented, pushing the door closed herself.

She turned around to face me and we shared a passionate kiss as I lifted a bare, pale leg out from under her robe and brought it to my hip, the door behind Krystyna protested briefly but stood firm for the duration of the kiss. I didn't let go of Krystyna afterwards, letting her gasp over my shoulder as I kissed her neck again, however, she eventually caught her breath. She wrapped her arms around my neck and smiled at me as I eventually stopped my onslaught and looked her in the eyes, I was ready to ravish her and she was up for it too, but I was curious about why she felt compelled to leave our bed and look out into the cold estate outside, the freezing air was sending pleasant yet unpleasant shivers all over my body.

"A little october snow got you all interested?" I asked, a smirk on my lips but the question was genuine, sure it was fairly early in the year but it was hardly uncommon for Moscow to get a little dusting of snow in october, old peasants will tell you that winters have gotten colder and longer for every year of their lives, however, the changes were slow enough that people had time to adapt and the harvest, thankfully, have been bountiful enough that Russia hasn't faced a famine since in the direct aftermath of my father's war for Smolensk - hardly a surprise given that Moscow itself was under siege - so people live through the winters for the most part. Quite frankly, I didn't know if winters were actually get any longer or not but I knew that, at this point, snow at Kolomenskoye in october isn't exactly rare, maybe a century ago, that wasn't a case, but for centuries Russian architecture has been designed to withstand snow, either by holding it or by being designed to let the snow slide off easily - such as the iconic turnip domes of Russian Orthodox churches.

"Well...you know, they say that the first snow of the year is romantic, besides, I wanted to make you work for it this morning." Krystyna giggled as she bit my lip, before sharing another kiss with me. I trailed my hand up from her bare leg up to her hip, watching hungrily as smooth, pale skin was revealed to me, everything that I saw last night, everything that I've seen countless times before, but everything that was just magical this time around, I loved being able to see her skin in broad daylight - not the first time for that either, but what can I say, Krystyna is a beautiful woman, a powerful woman, and a woman that belonged to me.

"Work for what?" I asked with a smirk, pretending I didn't know exactly what I wanted as I untied her robes, finally exposing everything to me, my hand trailed up and cupped her left breast as we kissed once again, both of us ready to repeat last night's actions. She slid her hands down from my neck, opening my robe up more and more as she went, pulling it off of my shoulders, exposing my breasts, and letting the robe come undone on its own, we kissed one last time before Krystyna let my robe fall onto my right arm, she then leaned in to answer my question.

"This," she said simply before shoving me back and grabbing my left hand, the two of us completely exposed as we ran back to my bedroom, her robe hanging on for dear life by the sleeves and my own robe completely off my body resting in my right army, they'd both be on the floor of my bedroom sooner rather than later. We would both become great conquerors in our day, and conquerors were entitled to taking what is their birthright, thus, I took Krystyna over and over and over again and she took me too, over and over and over again. Sex, lovemaking, bliss, there were plenty of labels I could apply to what Krystyna and I did together in my bedroom, none of those labels quite did it justice though, this was fantastic, she was fantastic, we were fantastic together, I could tell that she was one hundred percent invested in our love and, while I was one hundred percent sure that I loved her, thanks to those damned feelings, I could never say that I loved Krystyna quite as much as she loved me and, despite how good it all felt, despite how beautiful she was, and despite how much I enjoyed our time together, I could never quite shake that feeling that our relationship was uneven and that it was all my fault.

* * *

Later that day Krystyna and I finally made our way outside, she was wrapped up in a red and white coat while I wore a purple and white one, we both wore warm boots and gloves to keep warm - the Russian winter was infamously cold and we were entering it, however, that didn't stop Krystyna from enjoying herself, she seemed incredibly happy to be out in the snow, the cold air certainly wasn't bothering her. I was a Russian descended from Vikings, I could withstand the cold without an issue, but that didn't mean that I liked it, however, the fact that it made my Polish lover happy was enough to make me grin and bear it. It snowed in Warsaw and Mazovia too but I didn't dare tell that to Krystyna, she was enjoying herself - who was I to stop that?

"You have to admit it's beautiful." Krystyna smirked at me expectantly, true the snow was nice and all but I've seen it thousands of times here at Kolomenskoye, but she did have a point, because this was the first time I was able to experience snow with her. I thought nothing of the white sky powder littering my retreat, but the fact I got to experience it with Krystyna? That was worth it.

"Yes, yes you are." I mumbled as I embraced her and kissed her, no one was going to see, no one but the guards dared come out into the snowy cold and the guards have been out here so long that they're looking through teary eyes with runny noses, this was as private as we'd ever be outside of Kolomenskoye itself. Krystyna giggled as she kissed back, holding me as best she could between the thick fabrics of our coats.

"Are you cold?" she asked with a smirk as I buried my head in her neck...for warmth obviously.

"Yes," I said simply before returning to my business, biting, kissing, and licking at Krystyna's neck, seeing her shiver with goosebumps from both the cold and my less than innocent actions.

"Well, maybe you and I can find a place to...warm up," Krystyna proposed, a deviant glint in her eyes for the second time today and for the third time in the last twenty-four hours, not that I was complaining. I saw her mixed-matched green and hazel eyes scanned the estate, she was quite familiar with the main complex of the estate which I showed her on our tour, she was less familiar but aware of the church and the stable, though neither of which were suited for our present use. Her eyes finally settled to a building that hasn't been used in months, I followed her gaze and we looked upon the hunting lodge, a building unused ever since my father's last visit to Kolomenskoye before his death.

"The hunting lodge?" I asked and she shrugged before the two of us went and made our way over to it. I opened the double doors and the two of us entered the long one story lodge. The building contained a vacant fireplace, numerous couches and chairs, and various dead animals arranged in a variety of ways ranging from odd to downright gaudy - in particular there was the bear-skin rug in front of the fireplace, a matching pair of rugs made from relatively exotic Arctic Foxes, and just above us, hovering over the entrance was an impressive set of reindeer antlers. I knew my father did not hunt all of these creatures, this lodge has been here for decades and a smaller, simpler wooden lodge stood at Kolomenskoye prior to that, but I knew he took a lot of pride in this place and would often treat his nobles and generals to various hunts along the grounds, hunts that were just as much about politics as they were about actual hunting and sport. I was not a hunter, I could do it and my father had even offered to let me try once or twice, but I never wanted to, I suppose that's one of the few things that Muscovite noblewomen would find ladylike about me, not that I cared for those harpies, their husbands were annoying enough as it is.

Krystyna and I explored the lodge and the open area at the other end of the building that my father had evidently used for target practice, given the stuffed straw targets in a vaguely human shape and a handful of handguns and long guns placed at that end of the room, all meticulously kept other than a thin layer of dust that formed from the few months of disuse - I suppose that was my fault, my father had cared for this place on his own and, after his death, I hadn't asked the staff to step in and fill his void, ultimately a similar situation to my father's office, unused now as my mother lies alone in bed at night, little use for the Tsar's office while the Tsarina herself does her business in her own chambers. I watched with an eyebrow raised as Krystyna grabbed a handgun off one of my father's shelves and loaded it, crushing the powder down before dropping a pellet in, she raised her right hand and shut her hazel eye before pulling the trigger, hitting one of the straw targets square in the would-be chest. The distance wasn't particularly great, mind you, but she did still know how to handle a firearm, something practically unheard of in terms of European noblewomen, of course, I never doubted that Krystyna was good with her hands.

"You know how to shoot?" I asked, I didn't know that Krystyna knew how to shoot, but the fact that she did wasn't exactly surprising, the Polish noblewoman was amazing after all, it was hard not to love a woman like her, something I'm very grateful considering that I was - and in some ways still am - in need of a healthy source of love to help me squash those incestuous feelings I felt for Yelizaveta.

"I do, do you?" she asked, a smirk on her lips, the truth is, I'm no shooter, however, I've observed my father, my soldiers, and now Krystyna fire guns and I was a quick learner, I was going to let my actions speak rather than words in this case. I grabbed the other gun from the matching set Krystyna took from and loaded it, cocked it, just as she had, flattening down the powder and dropping the pellet in, raising my dominant left hand and shutting one of my blue eyes for the shake of precision, I looked at one of the straw targets and knew I had two options here, I could go for the chest just as Krystyna had and show her that I was just as good as she was, or I could go for one better, I could aim for the head. Now, this would be a harder shot and I wouldn't exactly accomplish anything if I missed, but I was willing to take the risk, after all, the Tsarina of Russia had to be mightier than the King of Poland, my realm was larger, my country defeated hers, and the rank of Tsar was equivalent to the rank of Empire in the European sense. I aimed for the head and took a deep breath before pulling the trigger. I flinched for a moment but, when my eyes opened and the muscles in my arm relaxed, I saw that the shot punched a hole through the middle of what would be the face if the target was a person, smirking at my success, I turned to Krystyna, however, rather than being upset that I outdid her, she was happy for my success.

"I do," I answered, cockily, my demonstration having proven my point, I knew that Krystyna was smart enough to realize that I didn't know I could until I did it, however, she wasn't going to push it, not this time anyway, she was glad for my success and she'd let me be arrogant for just a moment, besides, we both know that, if she wanted to, she could wipe the floor with me in a shooting competition, I had the advantage of seeing what she did and bettering it, learning from it, if we turned this into a competition, she'd have that same advantage too.

"Oh? That's a shame too, I thought I could teach you, you know, adjust your posture, give you some pointers, reward you for you success...punish you for your failures, but if you know how to shoot, I guess we can just go back to the main complex." Krystyna smirked, she definitely knew she was better and she definitely knew my shot was a little lucky, however, she was happy for me and she wanted to help me get better, but if I was going to be playful with her, she had absolutely no issue with being playful with me. I was the dominant one politically, that one was for sure, I was the Tsarina of Russia and she was merely a Polish noblewoman, she needed my support to become King of Poland, I had initially hoped that our romantic and sexual relationships would reflect our political relationship, however, Krystyna definitely has her moments and she's definitely very good at playing the dominant role, so am I, mind you, but the point is that she'd good at it too and, while I did enjoy her moments of dominance both here and in the bed, part of me wonders if being equals relationship wise will threaten our political dynamic. That's not to say that I wanted Krystyna wholly submissive, just that my political philosophy, including absolutism, didn't fit with my relationship, I had to wonder if there would be ramifications for that once Krystyna becomes a ruler and our relationship dynamic inevitably shifts.

"Well...how could I possibly refuse lessons from such an experienced, hands-on teacher such as yourself?" I flirted in return, if I couldn't have the dominant position, I at very least wouldn't have a submissive position, I would learn from her, but I'd make sure that the learning contained plenty of intimacy, intimacy which I engaged and I dominated. I sighed internally, it was probably unhealthy to think of my relationship with Krystyna so politically, I loved her and she loved me and in my heart I want us to be equals, however, in my mind, I know that I'm not just with Krystyna for romantic reasons, I'm with her for political ones and those political reasons demand that the Tsardom of Russia be dominant over The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I would try and keep this at a minimum, only doing this just enough to assert my dominance, I wanted to be dominant over Krystyna, I did not want to dominate her. There was a distinction, at least in my mind, the latter was oppressive and cruel while the former was simply an advantageous power dynamic.

"Good, because I intend to teach you a lot, Zygmunt August taught me more than just shooting," she smirked as she glanced at a set of fencing foils, I was hardly surprised that the militarized Wasa King would want to teach his ward about personal combat, that made the whole thing fall into place, sure Krystyna was just a girl, but for the childless Wasa King who died relatively young in battle against my mighty armies, she was as close to a child as he would get, I'm sure that neither of them were happy about the even more militarized - but not necessarily more competent - Jan the Prussian taking over after Sigismund Augustus II died, but I would rectify that, with Krystyna, Poland and Lithuania would finally get competent leadership who can actually create a modern army rather than merely drill an outdated army to exhaustion and then expect those troops to perform well against a trained and rested professional enemy. I would teach Krystyna how to run a state and she would teach me how to shoot and fence, meanwhile, we'd teach each other all there is to know about each other's bodies.

* * *

During the first snow Krystyna hopped out of my bed far too early, I decided to return the favor on a very special day, however, I would more than make up for it later. I was dress in a purple, black, and gold dress as I meticulously made sure everything was prepared, watching the staff like hawks as they placed Krystyna's favorite foods all over our dining table, a flag of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth adorning the table - the Polish flag was red, white, and red with the coat of arms - the white Polish eagle in the top left and bottom right corners on a red background with the top right and bottom left occupied by the white, blue, and gold Lithuanian Knight on horseback also on a red background - offset to the left surrounded by a gold, red, and blue circlet topped with a matching crown on top. All three stripes came to a triangular point.

I knew who would sit in every seat - I would sit at the head of the table while Krystyna would be just to my right as the guest of honor, opposite of her would be her cousin Terezia, of course, next to Terezia was Yelizaveta - I made sure every item was made to perfection, and I even arranged for Polish bakers to come in and bake the elaborate cake at the head of the table, I had them take the kind of birthday cake a Polish noblewoman could expect and make it bigger and better in every way, the woman in question deserved it, she deserved all of this and more. I made sure that I went above and beyond every way possible, the flag wore the dynastic coat of arms of the Wasa rather than those of Jan the Prussian in the center, I had a pair of matching engraved shooting pistols made specifically for her as a present, and, much to my mother's chagrin, my dress exposed enough of my neck to show the hickey Krystyna left on my neck last night - that was as close as I could possibly come to revealing our relationship, hopefully the now seventeen year old will understand.

"She's coming down the hall," Sofiya informed me with a smile on her face, my youngest sister still wasn't totally used to the idea of me and Krystyna being together, however, she was making progress, she definitely reacted better when Yelizaveta and Terezia revealed their relationship to her and now she's a lot more comfortable around Krystyna and I, in any case, I made sure everyone took their places for her entrance. I stood blocking the view of the table from the door, to my left was my mother flanked by Liz and Sophie on either side, Terezia stood just beyond them, a few esteemed foreign guests stood beyond her such as the younger brother of Prince Matyas, a Danish Prince, three sons of the Elector of Saxony, a Polish member of the Wasa along with his French wife, and an Austrian heiress, meanwhile, to my right stood Mikhailovich, Feodorov, and Perevernykruchenko, honored Russian generals - I debated on whether or not I should have them here given they're the ones who beat The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth but we're allies now and we'll be fighting together against the Turks - a gaggle of Muscovite noblewomen intermixing with some Polish noblewomen who Krystyna considered her friends, the Patriarch of Moscow, and, next to him, a Catholic priest. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Tsardom of Russia were intermixing in this party and I was happy about that, that would support my agenda going forward, especially once Jan the Prussian is out of the way and Krystyna ascends to the throne.

Krystyna Wlodzislawa entered the room just in time for her seventeenth birthday party, she wasn't surprised that there was a party, she was smart enough to figure out that I was up to something, however, she was surprised by the scale of everything, by the fact that I went so far as the invite her noblewomen friends from Poland while deliberately avoiding inviting a certain Johann von Konigsberg, by the fact that I caught that the ten day difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars means that, on the Julian calendar used in Russia, it's her birthday November 25th, while on the Gregorian calendar used in Poland, it's December 5th, one of the name days of Krystyna, an important tradition in Poland - now I couldn't actually accomplish that, that's the calendar's happy coincidence, but I brought that into the forefront with this party.

"Happy birthday Krystyna," I smiled at her and she smiled at me, we've been together for months by now, we've made love countless times, but, to date, this is the high point of our relationship, I did everything perfectly for her and, as I stepped out of the way revealing the table of food topped off with a cake, her smile only grew, Krystyna loved me, she adored me, and I loved her too, I loved her so much that I did all of this for her. Today, incestuous feelings didn't matter, today, war with the Turks didn't matter, all that mattered today was the two of us, it would be a day that only the two of us would get to share together, sure Yelizaveta or Terezia or Krystyna's Polish friends may experience bits and pieces of it, but the entirety is only for the two of us, no one else.

* * *

Krystyna and I wore tight white shirts and matching trousers with black leather boots as we stood together in an unused ballroom at Kolomenskoye, not ideal but it is what we have to work with, therefore, we both held a foil with a hilt wrapped in black leather surrounded by an elegant gold bellguard, she had taught me the moves, when to stab, when to parry, but now I was finally getting the chance to test myself against her. Given that we obviously couldn't have a pistol duel, this was the first time I was actually testing myself against her, this was more visceral than a shooting competition, this was as close as we could get to life or death without killing anyone. I nodded at her and she smiled before her green and hazel eyes took on a look that could kill and the seventeen year old blonde attacked. I parried her again and again, smirk on my face and an evil glint in my piercing blue eyes as I realized that she taught me well, perhaps a little too well.

I began giggling and something in Krystyna switched like that, this went from an educational moment to a competition, she did not want to be beaten by a mere student, regardless of the fact that I was the older, more dominant one. She went on an onslaught, downright attacking my sword, however, I blocked and I blocked and I parried and I caught every single strike until she finally overextended herself, the blade sliding past me to the right just between my empty hand and my body, meanwhile, the foil in my left hand landed on her chest, the blunt end harmlessly landing on her white shirt. Perhaps I was at an advantage given that sword-fighting was heavily biased towards right handed opponents while I was left-handed, meaning that Krystyna was fighting typically while I was fighting atypically, but what good is sword skill is you are beaten just by someone having a different dominant hand?

"Good job," Krystyna admitted, the two of us panting for a moment "Best two out of three?"

"You're on," I smirked as we fought again, this time I attacked first, forcing her to switch from a stab to a clumsy parry, however, she recovered quickly and I was forced to back off my attack, she was definitely more skilled than I was, but that didn't mean that I couldn't win - I would need these skills as a general too, I won't always have Mikhailovich and the others to lean on, I may very well find myself commanding an army all alone against a force that's tactically or strategically superior if not both, so, if I am to become a Tsarina, I must learn how to overcome being at a disadvantage, after all, I'm sure that Krystyna, in her conquests, will one day be able to raise grand armies with state-of-the-art weapons and tactics, weapons and tactics that could one day be used against the Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth may have lost Byelorussia and the Ukraine but those were the least densely populated parts of their country anyway, they still have a great population supported by a great agricultural region in the form of Galicia, so, when combined with Bohemia and Hungary and potentially even Naples, its certainly possible that Krystyna could one day raise an army that could be able to challenge the armies of Russia, I need to be ready for that, I doubted my lover would ever take sides against me, but if I'm wrong, I didn't need a heartbreak and a humiliating defeat, one or the other was bad enough already.

I was an absolute monarch and I had to be prepared for the possibility of friends becoming enemies and vice versa, so, when Krystyna finally slowed herself down, I retaliated with a few attempted stabs at her, but she managed to block all of those, it didn't matter if I went left or right, it didn't matter if I aimed up or down, it didn't matter that the both of us blatantly broke any and all rules of fencing regardless of discipline, this wasn't about sparring, this was about power dynamics. Russia was stronger than The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and I was fighting to keep it that way while Krystyna fought for whatever is best for her country, we loved each other, but I was already Tsarina and I will ensure that she becomes my loyal King of Poland, meanwhile, she will ensure that her claims go as far as possible and she becomes a great and powerful independent monarch, our interests are at a collision course and stupid things like this fencing duel were being dragged into it, dominant positions during sex were being dragged into it, even who kissed who was being dragged into it. I knew that it was incredibly unhealthy and so did she, however, we also both knew that this competition made us feel incredibly alive and we also knew that, when it was all done, our passions drove us together with wonderful, amazing, sinful make-up sex, it was fantastic.

We completely and utterly gave up any semblance of actual fencing when we grabbed at each other's wrists, making this a test of strength, I held my foil in my left hand high above Krystyna aiming to hit her from above but her left hand held my wrist up while my right hand kept her wrist pointing out to the side and her foil out straight with it, it was an awkward twisted mess of opposite hands and grunts as we attempted to overpower each other as a glint of realization and a smirk flashed across Krystyna's face, she let go of me and in surprise I let go of her, crashing my foil downwards while she ducked down and trust upwards, the blunt tip of her foil poking me in the stomach, we were even now.

"That was a nice move, completely illegal, but nice." I laughed as we were once again panting and catching our breath, both of us knew this was a power struggle on top of a fencing matching and both of us knew that the other knew, however, neither of us acknowledged it, as if we feared that as soon as we both acknowledge the power struggle it would suddenly become the issue that tears apart our relationship - no, it wouldn't be, I wouldn't allow that, we were together and we were going to stay together, I wasn't going to let geopolitics get in the way of love. Sooner rather than later Krystyna will realize that Russia is stronger than Poland and, while she'll work hard expanding her influence through Europe and modernizing her troops, I won't exactly be idle, I'll be expanding into Siberia, consolidating my gains from The Ottoman Empire, and bringing Russia's institutions into the 17th century. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth may become less weak in relation to Russia, but she can't seriously expect her realm to be as strong as Russia even if she pushes her claims to the logical extreme and then some, we are to be allies, not rivals, all that has to happen is that she accepts that she is the subservient ally. If she'll promise to do that, we can stop worrying about the power balance or about who acts dominant or any of that nonsense, we'll just know that I'm dominant and she's subservient and we'll leave it at that.

"All is fair in love and war," she smirked before abruptly coming at me again, I parried just barely and the fight was on once again, the final battle for dominance, the tie-breaker, she fought with determination, she fought with righteous fury, she fought with the force of a thousand winged hussars charging at their enemy bringing down lances of certain death flying the red, white, and red banner of Poland, however, I fought with passion, berserk Viking rage, and the absolute power of the Russian crown, I will reign over a country that stretches from the Baltic and Black Seas in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, I will preside over the crushing defeat of The Ottoman Empire, I will make sure that monarchs as far away as Berlin, Vienna, and Paris will forever fear the possibility of the Russian juggernaut tearing through Europe, I am blessed with the divine rule, I was born to rule, Krystyna will be elected to rule, no matter how great she may become, she cannot defeat me, absolute dominance is my destiny!

Foils clashed again as we attacked once again, I threw a punch for her gut which she just barely avoided before attempting to slash her foil at my face, I just barely dodged, as she knew I would, she wasn't trying to damage my pretty face, she was trying to get me to dodge and I fell right into her little trap as she attempted to quickly stab at my side, I let myself fall to the floor to dodge it and I swept her legs out from under her, letting her foil fall to the floor before her body followed it, she turned out quickly so that she was on her back but she wasn't gonna get up, I leaped onto her so that I was straddling her and holding down her wrists, both of our foils discarded on the floor. Honestly, neither of us won the fencing duel, but considering our current position and our matching smirks, the both of us felt like winners, ultimately, I was happy to call it a draw, far too exhausted for another round of physical combat poorly disguised as fencing.

"Consider it a draw," I said before coming down and kissing her, instead of deciding the power balance of eastern Europe, we opted to make love, it was better for both of us that way, besides, the balance of power benefited me by default due to the fact that I'm the one ensuring that she'll be elected King of Poland, she's the one that needs to fight if she wants to change anything about our relationship, I was quite happy with leaving things just as they were, so, once again, we avoided having that all-important conversation of the future. The war against the Turks would change our relationship, that was just a fact, she'd force herself into the upper levels of Polish power and Transylvanian power for that matter while I'd concentrate on the east rather than on the south and west, things will especially become complicated if Jan the Prussian dies during the war, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there, for now, it was just the two of us, the floor of a ballroom, and the feeling of hands, fingers, lips, and tongues going anywhere and everywhere on each other's bodies.

* * *

I watched as Sofiya unwrapped the present I got her, she opened it up and found that I had gotten her an expensive gold, silver, and ivory necklace from France, the named "Sophie" was engraved on a matching bracelet - she liked jewelry, more than Liz, Krystyna, and I did, personally, it's not a gift I would've been all that happy with but Sophie certainly seemed impressed and she immediately put the necklace around her neck before slipping the bracelet around her wrist, she beamed at me before running up to me and giving me a hug. I giggled, I may not have liked the gift but she certainly did and, given that its her gift, I suppose that's all what matters anyway. I turned to Yelizaveta with a smile as she began to open up her present, much more restrained and tentative than Sofiya, but we'll see if that lasts once she sees her gift - I was a lot more confident in my gift for Yelizaveta than my gift for Sofiya so if that one worked out, I was certain that the middle child of our family would appreciate her Christmas present.

Krystyna and I had celebrated Christmas together on the Catholic date, December 25th on the Gregorian calendar which was ten days before today, December 25th on the Julian calendar or January 4th on the Gregorian. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and most Catholic states in Europe had adopted the Gregorian calendar after the Pope made some extensive calendar reforms due to the older Julian calendar supposedly falling out of step with reality, evidently being ten days ahead, however, the Tsardom of Russia, an Orthodox state, did not accept this Papist calendar and I shall not be the one to change that. The Russian Orthodox Church was religious tied to the Julian calendar and, given that I was using the Church to indoctrinate the masses towards my rule, I was not going to change the calendar and thus change the date of our holiest holidays such as Christmas and Easter, the Church wanted continuity and I wanted to use its wide reach, thus, the calendar would stay as it is and we would celebrate Christmas on a date that our western neighbors considered to be an insignificant date in January.

I watched as Yelizaveta unwrapped her present and found a pristine, leather wrapped copy of another book from the same author that wrote about Yekaterina and Tatiana, this time, the secret lesbian writer from Tsaritsyn wrote about a peasant girl in Perm falling in love with the daughter of a nobleman, yet another story of forbidden love and a well written one at that, I'm sure that Yelizaveta will enjoy it, especially given that this copy was of a noticeably better copy than the well worn and well read copy of the last book that she got from a servant girl. As she opened the front cover, she saw that I really did go above and beyond the call as I made sure that the printer in Tsaritsyn dedicated this copy to "Liz," a vague enough nickname that I could get away with it, but to Yelizaveta, she knew that I had the printer do it specifically for her. Just like Krystyna's birthday party last month, I made sure everything was perfect.

"Thank you, Nastya," Yelizaveta smiled before hugging me just like Sofiya did, I couldn't deny the pleasurable sensation that rocketed through my body at the most extensive physical contact Liz and I have shared since that kiss, but the two of us had made progress with these feelings, the sensation felt no better than the sensations Krystyna regularly sent through me and I hoped that by now Terezia is having a similar effect on Liz. The two Catholic noblewomen had decided to grant us privacy today, they loved us but they understood that this was an Orthodox holiday for an Orthodox family, besides, I know that Liz and Terezia spent time together on the Catholic date just as Krystyna and I had.

"You're welcome Liz, I love you," I smiled a wholesome smile, I told her I loved her and there was nothing incestuous or sinful or sexual about it, we were simply sisters being sisters on Christmas, opening up presents from each other, presents from our mother, and presents from various Muscovite nobles who wanted to try and impress us with various amounts of success. I got three new dresses today which I liked, however, two of those had been from my mother and for the one nice dress the nobles had sent me, I had also gotten five dresses that I didn't like. My mother would disapprove, however, when the nobles stopped paying attention, I would sent the dresses I didn't like to the court tailor so that she could reuse the materials on a proper dress - even the dress I did like from the nobles needed some minor adjustments, but that was just because I made damn well sure that no one outside of Kolomenskoye knew my measurements, I was entitled to a certain amount of privacy after all. I also received some bits of jewelry, various cosmetics I'd never use, and a handful of exotic trinkets with little to no utility to them, but that's to be expected with gifts from nobles and Liz and Sophie had fared no better, we all had piles of crap to dispose of as our mother rolled her eyes.

Eye-rolling or not, my mother was filled with smiles today as we all enjoyed our time together, we smiled, we laughed, we hugged, we were a family, for the first time since my father died, we finally felt right as a family unit. Maria Davidovna, the Tsaritsa and my mother, myself; Anastasia, the Tsarina, Yelizaveta, the Tsarevna, and finally Sofiya, the woman who would be the mother of the next Tsar or Tsarina after Yelizaveta. The Rurikovich were a centuries old dynasty, born from the Viking warriors who settled Novgorod and Kiev, creating the Rus, and now, as we enter 1623, the next generation of the Rurikovich dynasty shall prove itself in the ultimate battle against the Ottoman dynasty in Konstantiniyye. The Habsburgs may reign over The Holy Roman Empire and The Kingdom of Spain, the Valois may rule over a dominant France that reigns supreme in western Europe, and the ambitious Vasa may reign strong in the north from Sweden with another branch holding claims on Catholic Poland, but for all their lands, titles, and colonies, its clear that the most powerful dynasties in Europe are the Rurikovich in Russia and the Ottomans in The Ottoman Empire, our countries are the largest and hold the most potential, so, when the two of us do battle, we won't just be fighting over the fate of eastern Europe and the Asian borderlands, we'll be fighting over which name is feared in the throne rooms of western Europe as well.

* * *

I stood with Lady Krystyna on top of one of the fortress walls of the Kremlin in February of 1623 as the divisions of The Russian Imperial Army marched through Red Square, every soldier dressed in the green, black, gold, and red uniform of the Russian army proudly holding their pikes and their firearms, proudly flying the black double-headed eagle of Russia on the golden flag, proudly flying a thin purple ribbon just below, the purple ribbon which I had added just for this war, we were the Third Rome and we would fight against the impostors in Konstantiniyye while flying ribbons of a glorious Roman purple. I watched as our cavalry came next, first the light and deadly fast Cossacks with their pistols and their deadly sharp sabers, then our heavier cavalry, Hussars with impossibly long lances designed to stab at enemy infantry before they could respond with pikes, finally, after the cavalry, came our cannons, pulled by horses for speed during marches, these rolled beasts of gunpowder would soon be erupting against The Ottoman Empire as we laid siege to Yerevan, Trabzon, and another other Turkish fortress that dares stand in our way, we were fighting for the legacy of Rome and I was not going to lose.

"Well, I suppose its time for me to leave for Moldavia then," Krystyna held both my hands and smiled somberly, we knew our relationship was about to change, she was taking a more serious role in Polish and Transylvanian politics following this war, this would eventually culminate in her ruling The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the reformed Lands of The Hungarian Crown with a dynastic claim to Bohemia and a circumstantial claim to Naples, she will go far, far indeed, far away from Moscow and far away from me. Of course we could still see each other, at least until Jan the Prussian or Prince Matyas died, but things would get more and more seldom, we would never again get to experience months together like we did here in Kolomenskoye, but it would be better for the both of us, we'd achieve our political goals - I'd defeat the Turks and she'd become ruler of a variety of Kingdoms allied to Russia, but somehow, it didn't quite seem like a victory.

"Yeah...I love you Krystyna," I told her, blue eyes connected with green and hazel ones, this wasn't a goodbye, not quite, but we both knew that the goodbye was inevitable despite the fact neither of us wanted to admit it, there would be no more visits to Moscow together, no more shooting competitions, no more fencing turning into physical combat turning into sex, we would still be together, but at this point, our relationship wouldn't be much more than something we insisted exists rather than something that actually exists - distance would mean that we're together in name only and, for both of us, that hurt.

"I love you too, Nastya," Krystyna refused to let tears flow as we shared a hung and a kiss, our armies were marching off to war and our destinies were leading us down separate paths, it was inevitable, but this was the beginning of the end of our relationship and we both knew it.

* * *

Well, sorry about ending on a sad note but, for Anastasia and Krystyna, it kind is a sad note, anyway, next chapter will be the Ottoman preparations for war and with chapter twenty-one, we get into the Russo-Ottoman War itself. Chapters have been long lately and this one is no exception - I intend for them to get a bit shorter going forward but we'll see where my intentions go. Anyway, ciao!

I love you all, peace out!


	20. Conquerors of the Land and Sea

Alright so we're back in The Ottoman Empire for Romans chapter twenty! Last time was Russia's preparations for war and this time around we're going to get to see the Turks prepare for war.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XX.

Conquerors of the Land ans Sea.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded as Fatimah and I got out of our carriage and stood at the base of the steps of Topkapi Palace, I stared directly at Spartak Pasha, barely paying attention to the other traditionalists who gathered here with him. I wondered where Captain Draganov and the other Janissaries were, they were supposed to be my trusted defenders and I had expected them to welcome me, on top of that, I entrusted Olga specifically to watch over Xanthippi who was functioning as little Abdullah Timur's guardian. I was worried about what was going on inside of Topkapi Palace but I was preoccupied with what was going on outside, Fatimah and I had just returned from our grand tour of The Ottoman Empire after our war against the Portuguese and their Arabian puppets and we were already getting dragged into a conflict with the traditionalists. I knew that an altercation with the traditionalists was inevitable, especially considering that I still believe they're responsible for my late husband's death and because Spartak Pasha wormed himself into my Arabian conflict, perhaps his intent had been to lure me into a false sense of security, perhaps he felt he needed military success to be taken seriously by his fellow traditionalists, or perhaps he just wanted to open up a path to end up on the winning team regardless of how this feud went. I didn't know what has occurred in the background, but it is clear to me that Spartak Pasha has ended up in control of the traditionalist faction of a considerable amount of it anyway and they have picked now as their moment to strike.

What exactly the strike was going to be I couldn't tell yet, this could be as simple as pure intimidation - that the traditionalists would show they could strike and then use that against me later - however this could also be more serious. Now, there were degrees of seriousness, the most serious move would be an out and out coup, a brazen grab for power, however, given that Spartak Pasha had opted to surround himself with old generals and politicians rather than armed thugs, I doubted this was going to be that blatant, instead, I figured that this was them revealing that they had a broad and powerful alliance and that they were going to use that alliance to make several demands, these demands also ranged in seriousness. They could be trivial demands such as parcels of land in the newly conquered Arabian provinces, they could be demands to delegate more powers to the Turkish elite and the governors rather than concentrating power in Konstantiniyye, or this could be a very serious demand such as removing Fatimah from power and installing Spartak Pasha as Grand Vizier. I knew I had to be Sultana-regent for my son and I knew that he was the heir to the Ottoman dynasty which meant that he had to stay in Topkapi Palace at Konstantiniyye no matter what, but honestly, no matter what happens here, I'd happily trade the Empire to ensure a safe life for myself, Fatimah, and Abdullah Timur, but I knew such a fantasy was unrealistic - Spartak Pasha had the opportunity to become regent for a child Emperor, he wouldn't pass that up and I think he at least suspects me to be responsible for his mentor's death, so I doubt that he'd remind getting revenge against me and I know that he'd have no qualms about Fatimah getting caught in the crossfire given their old rivalry.

"Sultana-regent Helena of Gothia, I have assembled before you a collection of valorous generals, experienced politicians, and accomplished provincial governors, we are the best and brightest minds that The Ottoman Empire has at its disposal and we are here because we have been troubled deeply by vicious rumors at your expense. I have journeyed to the front in Arabia to confirm these rumors for myself and I was downright scandalized to see some truth in them. Sultana Helena, The Ottoman army has the potential to conquer Hungary, Vienna, the southern provinces of Italy, the borderlands of Persia, and even using Georgia, Circassia, and Zaporizhia to link our main territory with Ottoman Crimea. We are larger than we have ever been and we have the potential to become even larger, war is in our blood and peace will only lead to stagnation and decline, we must expand and there are rumors that you want to give that all up, in fact, the most scathing reports say that you're willing to surrender Crimea and the Caucasus to Russia." Spartak Pasha read out the accusations with an arrogant smirk on his face, apparently my desire for peace had become common knowledge and even exaggerated.

I had no intentions of just giving up Crimea and the Caucasus, I would surrender it if the war swings against us and threatens to produce famine and suffering, but I won't just give up the province that includes the place I was born and raised in to Russia as if it were nothing. I felt my policy was quite reasonable and the right fall given that the Caucasus and the Crimean territory were not particularly valuable - Theodoro, Kaffa, and Azov are the only developed parts of Ottoman Crimea, the rest being open steppe - when compared to the likes of Egypt, North Africa, and the Levant, however, the Turks did not like to think of our Arab provinces as our most valuable ones, they preferred to expand our Empire into Europe so that Konstantiniyye and the Turkish core lands in northern and central Anatolia were at the center of our Empire, at the center of Roman civilization as it exists today.

"I promise you that the Turkish armies will fight to hold onto Crimea and the Caucasus - you may forget Spartak Pasha but I was born and raised in The Principality of Theodoro, I do not want to see my homeland fall into foreign hands just as I am sure that you would not want to see Albania fall into Venetian hands once more. Now, if that will be able, I suggest you all disperse, Fatimah and I have plenty of work to do to prepare for war." I have Spartak Pasha a dressing down as best as I could and hoped that he and his fellow traditionalists would back down - I'd love it if I could get away with all of these without having to promise anything beyond the Russian war - war against the Tsardom was inevitable, Tsarina Anastasia has made that very clear, but that could be the last war of my reign, I would prefer it that way actually - with the Habsburgs and their German underlings preoccupied with their petty denominational struggle and France, England, and Spain preoccupied with growing colonial Empires, I believe that we will be left unmolested if we do not intentionally provoke our enemies.

"And after that?" Spartak Pasha asked, he was not giving up, he and his allies were quite militarized, between generals, politicians, and governors they all wanted war whether it is for their own glory or land or power. Spartak Pasha revealed what he wanted, he wanted to bring in the rest of Hungary, he wanted to push into Persia, and he wanted southern Italy, now, some of this I was willing to do, I intended to bring Moldavia and Wallachia under direct Ottoman rule and reign in the Prince of Transylvania - Matyas is supposed to be our vassal yet he pays homage to the Habsburgs as well and Turkish spies have revealed that he has recently journeyed to the weakened but still significant Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, additionally, I would like to spread our influence along the Indian ocean and acquire distant ports and vassals and trade concessions, but I did not want a full scale conflict against the Habsburgs, the Poles, the Persians, the Moroccans, or the Spanish, nor did I want another war with Russia after the Crimea and Caucasus situation was resolved - if I defeat Russia now I am certain they will attack again once the treaty expires and even if they do get what they want they could come back from more, pushing for the Romanian Principalities and Trabzon.

Now, a war against those powers would likely be more successful than a war against Russia because the Habsburgs and the Holy Roman Empire is being torn apart by holy warfare, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been slashed to pieces by the Russians, Persia was defeated recently by my husband, The Sultanate of Morocco to the west of Ottoman Algiers has been devastated by frequent Spanish and Portuguese military campaigns, and the Spanish are preoccupied with an Empire spanning the western hemisphere, a massive rebellion in their Dutch provinces, and are supporting their fellow Habsburgs in The Holy Roman Empire in their conflict against the Protestants, however, there's nothing to be gained from those conflicts, not really. Attacking southern Italy will immediately draw out the Pope and the Catholic superpowers of Europe so, even if we do manage to defeat the Spaniards, the reprisal will push us out of Sicily or the Messogiorno instantly, it will be a massive waste of time and resources, but these traditionalists won't see it - being the heirs of Rome is a blessing and a curse, we are a strong and great power with international prestige, however, to some, that means we must try and expand into Italy, something which could be incredibly valuable given the rich Italian provinces and the great Renaissance cities of Naples and Palermo, but we couldn't possibly hold onto either of them. The Ottoman Empire is strong, but we are not stronger than the united Catholic forces of Europe, every Empire has its limits.

"What would you have us do? Where can we possibly attack where we won't be torn apart by a league of our greatest enemies? The Holy Roman Empire and Spain are linked together by their shared dynasty, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is an accessory of the Russian state and you know as well as I do that the Tsardom is a very serious threat to our civilization, we are still bound by a treaty with the Persians, and the most valuable regions of Morocco - the coasts - are already under Spanish or Portuguese occupation. We are at our territorial peak, enjoy it Spartak Pasha, because if men like you ever come into power, I will promise you that your wars will lead to our ruin, we will provoke and provoke and provoke the Europeans until they finally rob us of our Empire!" Fatimah argued on my behalf, the young Arab woman was sick and tired of dealing with Spartak Pasha and, quite frankly, so was I, these traditionalists were nothing but a nuisance and I've been trying to hunt them down and expose them for months, but if this is their grand display, if this is all the cards that they have to pay, then it's clear that I've wasted my time, Fatimah's time, and the Janissaries' time, they are nothing.

"I will not be told by what is possible and what is impossible by a woman whose position as Grand Vizier should be impossible - this is a complete and utter insult to everything that our civilization stands for! A woman at the helm of The Ottoman Empire is already too much, two women at the helm unfathomable - consider yourselves lucky that we do not move to remove the both of you. That is something we may be forced to do if you decide to waste our resources on pretty little public works progress instead of war, glory and expansion." Spartak Pasha dared raise his voice at my Fatimah - insulting me, raising his voice at me, that was bad enough, but this woman was my secret wife, if he had insulted me when I had been Sultana, my husband would've had him killed, for appearances more than any actual love, but an execution nonetheless, I would do that too if it weren't for the fact that the rest of these traditionalists would come at me with revenge, at least not until I know whether or not these traditionalists have the willingness and ability to resort to murder - if they orchestrated the Levantine bodyguards killing my husband, then they are a force to be taken seriously regardless of how pathetic and insignificant the faction may appear.

"Are you threatening us, Spartak?" I asked quietly, seriously, threateningly, however, the conversation ended there as Captain Draganov and the Janissaries arrived from within the palace, seeing the guards which has so thoroughly disarmed him last time and seeing that they could no longer intimidate me, they slowly but clearly made their leave, scattering throughout the grounds of Topkapi Palace. I could have ordered the Janissaries to gather them up and imprison them, however, I knew that it wouldn't do any good, this faction wasn't much, but I would be a fool to assume they were foolish enough to reveal all their members at once, there were more of them, perhaps some of them were far away from Konstantiniyye, overseeing the provinces they govern or the armies they command, powerful figures throughout the Empire all demanding war for their own interests, meanwhile, I want peace for the Empire's interests.

* * *

"How is he doing?" I asked Xanthippi as she presented Abdullah Timur to me, as soon as Fatimah and I were free of the traditionalists, I changed into a court gown and came straight here, I had been apart from my son for far too long.

"He's healthy, he's smart, but...my Sultana, I fear that he is weak." Xanthippi admitted nervously as she handed my child over to me, I looked down at his curious young brown eyes, observant and sharp already, he definitely was smart and thankfully he was healthy too, but I wasn't quite sure what she meant by him being weak...though I did know that, whatever it was, it wasn't good. The traditionalists were already throwing a fit because two women who wanted peace were at the helm of the Empire, if they found weakness in the heir to the Ottoman dynasty, they may decide to get rid of all three of us and install some distant cousin or great uncle on the throne - despite the fact those cousins and great uncles are alive because they had been weak and cowardly and fled Konstantiniyye while their brothers seized power as the Sultan.

"What do you mean?" I asked, hesitantly, I almost didn't want to know, as if it wouldn't come true if it wasn't put into words, but I had outgrown that, the fact that I was practically forced to marry Sultan Suleiman III or watch my entire family get executed robbed me of any childhood ignorance or innocence, Fatimah has certainly made me feel better, but she's the Grand Vizier, the greatest politician in The Ottoman Empire so, try as she may, she cannot escape the jaded and filthy world of court politics, our position as Sultana and Grand Vizier guarantees that we'll always be exposed to the most disgusting elements of humanity - plotting, power games, ass-kissing, backstabbing, and betrayal reign supreme in Konstantiniyye, as they do in London, as they do in Paris, and as they do in Moscow, not even the oh so holy Papacy is free of dirty politics, he and his secular state love lies, war, and opportunistic politics.

"He still hasn't learned to walk." Xanthippi revealed before lowering Abdullah Timur to the ground to demonstrate, she even stuck his arms out for him for balance before tentatively letting go. I watched as for a moment Abdullah Timur just stood there, staying on balance with his legs supporting him - for a moment I hoped that he was going to prove Xanthippi wrong, for a moment I thought that this was finally going to be his first successful step, for a moment I thought that my son, my one and only link to Konstantiniyye and Ottoman politics, wasn't weak after all - but as he took his first instinctual step, I saw his tiny little knee shake and his leg gave out, he went falling for the floor and screamed, tears coming down his little face. Xanthippi and I both reached for him but I got to him first, pulling the young child to my bosom before he could fall to the ground, brushing his short black hair and calming him down. I don't know what to think of this, he is my son, he's the only family I have left really, but I can't help but notice he is indeed weak, he was able to support his weight when he was just standing, why is it that he can't support himself as he takes a step? Is it fear that stops him or are his knees the problem?

"Keep working with him, he'll manage soon enough." I handed Abdullah Timur over to Xanthippi as soon as he was calmed down and left with an empty promise and nothing more, even I wasn't certain if he'd manage at all, perhaps Abdullah Timur would be a cripple - perhaps my husband and I deserve it for partially naming our child after a great conqueror named Timur the Lame, even if my husband was focusing more on the Turkic conqueror who brutally crushed the Persians part rather than the lame leg part, nevertheless, I fear that Abdullah Timur may struggle to walk for the rest of his life. Perhaps he was only developing slowly, perhaps this is just an overreaction on my part, but as I practically stormed out of the nurses' room, I couldn't shake the thought from my head.

* * *

I was sitting in an office in Topkapi Palace when Fatimah arrived on a mission, walking fast with a stack of papers under her arm she sat down in my lap gave me a kiss and left them of my desk, I responded to the kiss, put my arm around her waist, and adjusted the both of us so that we could remain intimate yet still read through the stack of papers. This was hardly the first time our professional and our personal relationship had mixed, but I hardly minded, it was a lot easier to stomach politics when I was with her. The first set of papers, by far the largest of the two, were our war plans, meticulous and detailed plans for the defense of Crimea and the Caucasus. Fatimah and I favored going on the offensive in the beginning of the war, Russian artillery was devastating and their soldiers were relentless, trying to fight a defensive war would just lead to us getting pushed back out of the Caucasus region and then we'd be forced to fight the war on Turkish soil, Fatimah wanted to charge through Georgia and then advance north from the coast, trying to reach Tsaritsyn and entrench ourselves on the River Volga. This would leave open a strip of the coast between the Caucasus Mountains and Baku, however, if Russia would try and send an army through that gap, they'd have to turn around and focus on liberating Georgia rather than assaulting our forces and fortress in the region. Georgia could be trampled over quickly, then we could take the fight to Russian soil, something which the young Tsarina Anastasia would not be prepared for given that she has likely grown arrogant from her success on the offensive against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but we were no Poland, we were The Ottoman Empire.

The plan in Crimea is a little more cautious, Fatimah intends to focus on expanding out from Crimea to occupy Zaporizhia, joining Crimea with Moldavia and then occupying Circassia, joining Crimea with occupied Georgia, our Siege of Tsaritsyn to the north should deter Russia from actually attacking Crimea, but if they do, an army will be stationed in Azov to keep the fighting on the mainland steppe of Ottoman Crimea rather than on the peninsula itself. The goal here is to use our navy to supply Theodoro from Konstantiniyye and then use our occupied territories to spread supply lines to Moldavia, the Caucasus, and north to Tsaritsyn. Now, this is an ideal war plan, obviously things could go terribly wrong, we could encounter stronger than expected resistance in Georgia, Anastasia could be able to mobilize her armies quicker and stop our grand offensive in its tracks, perhaps they may call in their Polish allies. Now, Poland was a threat to The Ottoman Empire at one point, but that was a long time ago, long before Russia cut Poland down to size, now it is not a threat alone, but when my Empire and the Tsardom of Russia are so closely matched, Poland could indeed be a deciding factor in this war.

As I continued to read however, I noticed that Fatimah had indeed taken that into account with an army from the Balkans coming up to Moldavia, reinforced by troops from Wallachia and Moldavia, and march north to confront any Polish army that we shall face, should they succeed, they will move to occupy Galicia and lay siege to the city of Lwow, the southernmost Polish fortress city. I believe Poland's involvement in this war is more because Russia is forcing them to be involved than because they actually want to fight, hence, threatening Poland itself should be enough to force The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth out of the war, at that point, the path to peace should be fairly straightforward, consolidate our holdings and make it far too costly and far too wasteful for Russia to justify the war, as the defenders, we already have what we want, the strain on our side is far lower than it is for Russia, they have to actually conquer the land and exhaust our armies, we just have to hold our position and that will in turn exhaust their armies.

Everything was exactly how I expected, perfect, thought-out, and thorough, Fatimah was an excellent Grand Vizier and an even better lover, however, as I began looking over the next set of papers, my mood switched. These papers included tentative plans for an invasion of Austrian Hungary with a simultaneous pacification of Transylvania, plans for a conquest of Fars bringing the entire Persian Gulf coast into Ottoman hands and uniting both sides of the Straits of Hormuz under one banner, and plans for an invasion of Sicily, our navy cutting through the Straits of Messina and beyond to blockade Palermo whilst our army occupies Messina itself and advances to capture the rest of the island before gathering at the walls of the Sicilian capital. Fatimah told me that she was fine with peace and that she wouldn't push me, yet right here, right on my desk, were plans for wars that she knew I wanted no part of, the exact wars that Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists were pushing for. I didn't know what to feel, heartbroken, betrayed, angry? The woman I loved, the woman who I called my wife, the woman who I "married" twice practically just slapped me in the face with these plans.

"Why?" I simply asked, not able to force myself to say more, I couldn't tell if I was on the verge of bursting into tears or having an outburst but something was threatening to overpower me and it was taking all the energy in the world to stay composed, calm, and rational in the face of all this. I wanted so bad for there to be a good reason for this, I wanted anything but for Fatimah to be a war hawk, I wanted her to be on my side when I needed her most - she made an impassioned speech to Spartak Pasha about expansion being impossible, that was her stance in public, but in private she was going to stab me in the back? I knew that she was my Grand Vizier and thus a politician, but I always thought she was above these kinds of petty politics.

"These are just plans Helena, I'm not asking you to do anything, I can even throw them away if you like, I just thought that we should have something developed if Spartak Pasha and his degenerate allies manage to get the public to support their bloodshed, we should at least make sure that the Empire goes about it in the smartest way possible." Fatimah explained, I suppose she did have a point, there was no harm in the plans themselves, the harm was in putting them into action, but that doesn't change the fact that she hadn't presented them to me in that way, I can't help but think that this may be a rehearsed excuse in case I didn't react well to the plan. I tried to shake it off, say that it was just paranoia, but I couldn't quite shake it, I was still worked up that she went and brought these plans before me and I'm even more worked up about what this could mean for our relationship, however, I had to hope that she was telling the truth, I had to hope that these were genuine emergency measures to act as a last ditch solution. If Fatimah's plans emerged from the same place as our plans to enrich and grow The Ottoman Empire from within rather than expanding it, then I can live with it, if it is born from the same blind expansionism that Spartak Pasha and the traditionalists spew out in their rhetoric then I fear that there is a serious issue between the two of us. I had a lifeline though, I could hope that this was truly a good thing, but I needed to hear it from her, she wouldn't lie to my face, she couldn't do that, all I needed was a little bit of confirmation and I could rest easy about this whole thing.

"So these are just precautionary measures?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as clear and reasoned as possible despite the turmoil inside of me, I was pining for her to say it was just precautionary but part of me wanted to catch her lying, I don't know why that self-destructive thought even entered my head but I couldn't deny that, if she was lying, I wanted to hear her admit it in front of me, the only problem being is I had no idea where I'd go from there. This was all absolutely terrifying to think about and it was even more terrifying that we had to think of it right before our armies marched off to face the Russians.

"Yes, precautionary measures." Fatimah nodded, her expression stern, serious, and honest, I knew that she couldn't have possibly lied to me, thus, relief washed over me, we could go back to being happy wives for each other, there would not be a crisis, all Fatimah had done is go above and beyond her duties as Grand Vizier, preparing for an undesirable yet realistic position given the increasingly strong and increasingly bold traditionalists in Konstantiniyye, she perhaps approached how she should tell me about this wrong, but perhaps she felt that approaching this differently from anything else would leave me predisposed towards judging it negatively, however, the opposite had been true. As terrified as I was about what this moment represented, it ended with Fatimah and I on the same page and in agreement once again, I was the Sultana-regent and she was the Grand Vizier, we were the perfect pair, the dynamic duo at the head of the mightiest Empire in Europe, all was well in the world, we were ready for war against the Russians and, whatever happens after that, we have contingency plans for it, whatever happens, we will not be caught off-guard, Fatimah has seen to that.

* * *

"Hello Captain Draganov," I smiled and greeted Olga, dressed impeccably in her black Janissary uniform with gold and silver trim, her sword at her hip and her posture millimeter perfect - her gender may be obvious now that I've realized it but, woman or not, she's an excellent soldier, loyal and disciplined. I'm not sure how many other Janissary captains would've stepped in against Spartak Pasha whilst in a personal feud with me, especially given that there have been more than a few incidents of the Janissaries becoming involved in political schemes, but Olga was different than that. Perhaps the fact that she and her lover lived as ordinary people in Konstantiniyye rather than as isolated eunuchs raised from slave children gave her a real connection to The Ottoman Empire, perhaps she saw Fatimah and I as the best hope for the Empire going forward and thus she is an excellent ally because, unlike most of her allies, she has an express interest in the future of the Empire rather than just personal glory or mobility.

"Sultana Helena," she bowed slightly before dropping the masculine accent she adopted as a person, the accident that comes across as less masculine and more artificial the more I hear it, however, it is still quite an impressive disguise. She had me fooled even when the two of us were operating very closely plotting together to assassinate Ibrahim Pasha. I had one Grand Vizier murdered and now I'm in love with another, I'd say that this was somewhat unconventional or ironic but it isn't all that unusual in European politics, more than once France's taxes were collected by the family of the King's latest mistress and more than once envy would show itself in that the Queen's family or the families of other mistresses were taxed particularly harshly. Of course, the French Kings did not complain too much in those scenarios, they were happy enough just to receive taxes from powerful noble families, they didn't so much as mind why those particular families were taxed and why others were not, they scared about the money pouring in and they were obsessed with stopping money from flowing out. Politics is a filthy business and mixing politics and love is bound to result in complications, thankfully, Fatimah and I have managed to overcome every obstacle we've faced so far, some more easily than others, and we both wear our rings proudly, we are still committed to each other, through good times and bad.

"Please escort me to the harbor, war is on the horizon and I wish to inspect our flagship." I requested and soon the two of us began walking, followed closely but not too closely by an escort of six Janissaries. Our party left the grounds of Topkapi Palace and headed for the docks, Russia did not have a strong navy in the Black Sea as far as I knew, but it is better to be safe than sorry, especially given Fatimah's plan for Crimea hinges on us being able to establish a naval supply line from Konstantiniyye to Theodoro - once the ships are determined to be in top shape, I will assign El Diablo to the task, he had served me well against the Portuguese and we will serve me well yet again against the Russians.

"Have you been married?" Olga asked, eyeing the wedding ring on my finger. I cursed mentally, sure the Islamic aristocrats of The Ottoman Empire would fail to tell the distinction between a regular ring and a wedding ring but the Janissaries were Christian boys who were kidnapped, enslaved, and employed by the Empire, their background means they knew all about Christian wedding rituals, they knew what the ring went and Olga, while obviously not a Christian boy, was of a Christian background and a Janissary nonetheless, she knew it too, she also knew that I was with Fatimah - after all she was standing guard and ensuring our privacy when Fatimah and I shared our first kisses...and second...and third...

"Not in a Church," I smirked, hoping that she'll see what I meant, she was smart, I learned as much when conspiring with her against Ibrahim Pasha, she would know that I didn't mean getting married in a Mosque - though to be fair, one of these 'weddings" was in the courtyard of one - I meant that this was not a religiously sanctioned marriage and thus not really a marriage at all, but it was Fatimah and I promising to each other that we'll act as if we were married. I watched Olga for a minute as she scrunched her face in thought but not a moment later her expression softened and widened into one of realization, in fact, her expression further mutated into a smile, she was happy for me. I'm glad that we moved past our little altercation following Ibrahim Pasha's death, that really had been poor judgement on my part and I nearly robbed myself of a great ally and an excellent resource.

"Ah, I'm happy for you, you two really are the best and brightest minds Konstantiniyye has seen in a while - after all, I'm sure that if Ibrahim Pasha or Suleiman III were the one to figure out my...secret, I'd be thrown in the harem at best and burned at the stake like a witch at worst." Olga whispered, I'm glad to see that she moved on from our incident too, we rebuilt the working relationship we had when we were plotting together and we have come somewhat farther than that, there was something of a legitimate friendship now as we walked together onto the harbor itself, passing numerous commercial and military vessels on our way to the flagship itself, the pride of The Ottoman Navy, the beast that shall safeguard the Black Sea from Russian threats.

"Thank you, how are things with Nikolina?" I asked, also whispering now, I was curious about Olga's personal life with her Bulgarian lover, I only heard details about it once before and that was an argument I sincerely did not wish to repeat, but I did want to hear about this topic again, just in a calm and peaceful way, I was especially curious to see if Olga had talked to her about my idea of opening a school for Balkan orphans in Konstantiniyye, something which I was still serious about, despite the fact that the idea has been somewhat sidetracked by the last war against the Portuguese and another war against the Russians on the horizon.

"Good, good, I talked to her about your idea and...she seemed interested, but first, she wants two things," Olga explained, I understood why Nikolina would have reservations, this is perhaps the first time The Ottoman Empire has offered something to Balkan children other than a life in the Janissaries or in the harem - I'm sure Olga's experience has ensured neither of them want that for any other children "First of all, she wants to make sure that it's not just her teaching Bulgarian children, she wants teachers for Greeks, Serbs, Albanians, Romanians, Gypsies, all of it. Second of all, she wants to meet with you face to face and speak with you, she wants to make sure you actually want to help us rather than just help yourself."

"Reasonable request," I sighed "I'll try and arrange it, I just don't know when I'll have the chance..."

Thus the topic was set off for a later date once again as our party reached our flagship, the Kayser-i Rum, Caesar of Rome, named for one of the many titles my son wore as the head of the true Third Rome, we reign over the lands of the Byzantine Empire, we have made our capital in Konstantiniyye, and we rule over lands in the Balkans, Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, and North Africa that made up more than half of The Roman Empire...the more valuable half at that, contrary to what the Spanish, French, and English may think, their lands were tribal backwaters prior to Roman conquest while North Africa was the heartland of the great Carthaginian civilization, the final evolution of the great ancient Phoenician culture, Egypt was home to the great Ptolemaic Dynasty, the Levant was initially the western half and later the core of the Seleucid Empire, and the Balkans and Anatolia were the lands of the Greeks and of the other Diadochi that rose up alongside Seleucus and Ptolemy to claim the legacy of Alexander, a legacy that has truly fallen to The Ottoman Empire. We are Romans, we are Macedonians, we are Ancient Greeks, we are Carthaginians, we are Mongols, the greatest civilizations of antiquity are at a crossroads at Konstantiniyye where the Turkish sons of Genghis Khan, Seljuk, and Timur reign over the great builders of western civilization.

The Spanish prey on us, the Venetians prey on us, the Russians prey on us...The Ottoman Empire is not a popular state and we have a long coastline to protect, therefore, we have ensured that our flagship is a top of the line vessel, the best vessel in the Mediterranean if at all possible, therefore, we have an impressive vessel in the form of the Kayser-i Rum. The ship is just over 120 feet long with three towering masts and 22 guns on either side, a heavy armament. This ship was entirely sail powered, as were more and more ships these days, however, the bulk of our navy still consists of galleys, oared ships that may be useless in the oceans but are very useful in the calmer waters of the Mediterranean where the coast or an island is never too far away, these are the workhorse of our navy and we use them to great effect against Venetian galleys, however, Spanish sail ships have devastated our galleys before and surely can again, therefore, we are careful to make sure that we never face a modern navy without another modern navy, thus, we have the Kayser-i Rum and many other galleons that can and will go toe-to-toe with anything that the Russians can throw at us, we'll even throw in our galleys just to complicate matters for them.

"She is a fine vessel my Sultana," Olga remarked as we inspected the ship, the sails, while currently furled up and not in use, would fly gloriously in combat, massive green sails proudly displaying the star and the crescent of The Ottoman Empire, tying in perfectly with the red and gold banner flying from the ships main mast, displaying the star and crescent alongside a pair of scimitars - The Ottoman Empire used a variety of flags and symbols, ranging from simple flags with the star and crescent to the dual scimitar flag to elaborate flags displaying our dynastic name in Arabic, but there was no denying that this was truly the pride of the Ottoman Navy, this is a ship that will terrorize our enemies.

The wheel was large, adorned with greens and reds and decorated with gold and silver, it was massive and it appeared heavy and unwieldy, but I'm sure that El Diablo will manage, the mighty Algerian admiral who has terrorized the Spanish and now the Portuguese, the entire circumference of Africa could not hold him from devastating Portuguese fleets, there is no way that any rushed Russian navy will be able to stand a chance against it. On the waters of the Black Sea we shall prove that we are the true heirs of Rome, cannonballs will shred anything and everything that dares stand in our way.

"Indeed she is Captain, she has to be, the war depends on her. She will be the lifeline for Ottoman forces in Crimea and, by extension, our forces as far away as the Caucasus and Moldavia, she is vital." I explained, Fatimah planned well, it is significantly easier and significantly quicker to supply our armies by the Black Sea from Theodoro than it would be to have supply lines running all the way up the Balkans and past the Danube into Moldavia or all the way across Anatolia and past Trabzon into the Caucasus, Russia was not a naval country, I don't think a single ship was involved in their war against Poland, I would be quite surprised to see Anastasia suddenly construct a navy just to beat us...unless she also plans to use those ships against Sweden. I hadn't considered that aspect, Sweden and Russia are on a collision course over the Baltic, both seek to capitalize on growing religious tension in the historical Catholic State of The Livonian Order, no one quite knows what will become of it, but everyone is certain that it won't continue being an independent Catholic Knightly Order, it will either be absorbed into Russia or into Sweden and whoever benefits is practically guaranteed to wage war on the other.

"I trust you shall protect Abdullah Timur once again? I don't trust Spartak Pasha and his allies to know their place, if they were brave enough to confront Fatimah and I, it's not unreasonable to fear they may hold my son hostage and install one of their own as Grand Vizier - it is your job to ensure that doesn't happen and that Abdullah Timur stays safe." I told Olga, things were ramping up now, war with Russia on the horizon, the traditionalists growing bolder and bolder, and hungry, greedy neighbors surrounding us on all sides, waiting to swoop in like vultures at the first sign of weakness. I needed people who i can trust right now, I trusted Fatimah with the war, I trusted El Diablo with the navy, I trusted Xanthippi with my son, and I trusted Olga to protect them both, if I can have all that, then I have it in me to do what it takes to win this war, I can hold the Russians back as long as the world doesn't come crashing down on me - I am strong, I am even stronger when I am backed up by my allies, but I am not Atlas, I cannot bear the world on my shoulders.

"Of course, my Sultana," Olga promised before coming closer, dropping the masculine facade and reminding me why I trusted her, she is willing to trust me with her secret, a secret that would ruin her life if it was ever revealed, it was only natural that I trust her with protecting my son and his caretakers "You have my word Helena, me and the Janissaries will fight to the last man to protect Abdullah Timur."

* * *

"Xanthippi, this is Fatimah bint Abdul, Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire, Fatimah, this is Xanthippi, she's the caretaker for Abdullah Timur." I introduced the Arab to my fellow Greek, the woman I loved and the woman I who trusted with my one and only child, along with Olga who had promised to protect them, these were the most important people in my life right now, the little Sultan himself was wrapped delicately in fine blankets in Xanthippi's arms. She handed my son to me and I held him close before showing him to Fatimah as he began to stir.

Fatimah bit her lip and kept from responding, she didn't want to scare the baby who was practically her step-son - I'm sure the fact that the baby was officially her one and only boss with me only acting as a placeholder - however, Abdullah Timur woke up peacefully, his brown eyes free of tears as he observed Fatimah first and then turned to me, allowing me to see a hint of recognition in his eyes. He had been asleep when I showed him to Fatimah, at least I thought he was, but the child was indeed bright - he was the perfect child in so many ways, he rarely cried, he was as smart as a toddler despite being half the size of one, and he seemed remarkably well-acclimated to meeting new people, everything was perfect other than the fact that he still couldn't walk. His intelligence suggested that there was nothing wrong with how he was developing and last time he proved that he could support his own weight, but when he tried to make a step, his knees gave out and he almost fell over. It was now spring of 1623 and our spies are reporting that the Georgians and the Russians are beginning to mobilize, Fatimah and I are about to move out to the Caucasian front but we wanted to see my - well our at this point - son before leaving.

"Abdullah...little Timur of mine, do you think you can try and walk again for Xanthippi and I? I think Lady Fatimah here will be very impressed if you do..." I spoke quietly to my son, he was little but he seemed to understand at least most of what I was saying, I even caught him glancing at where Xanthippi was at the mention of her name and when I mentioned Fatimah, his eyes darted to the newcomer in this room - he was a receptive little child, now if only we can take those first steps...

I set Abdullah Timur down and he managed to stand on his two legs once again, they were a bit shaky but he seemed more stable than he did last time, that was a good sign, as was watching his little face turn confident, he seemed aware already that he was someone important and he liked that he had to impress Fatimah, I wasn't sure if that came from my husband's arrogance and show-offness, my infatuation with Fatimah, or a little bit of both, but there was definitely something there as he took that first step, that elusive first step, the very place where he failed last time. His knee shook, his confident expression almost fell, but he did not, he stood there after his first step, realizing what he had done, realizing that he had not fallen, and his confidence soared once more. I watched with awe as Abdullah Timur took his second step and another and another before Xanthippi had to grab him before he walked his way out of the room. He had finally done it.

"Well, our journey to war begins with a success, I think that's a good sign." Fatimah smiled at me, both of us happy to see our son finally succeed.

"Indeed, now...to fight a war." I proposed, offering my hand.

"To fight a war!" Fatimah agreed enthusiastically, grabbing my hand, we will take on the Russian bear, if anything is going to stop Russia, it is going to be The Ottoman Empire, the one and only true heir of Rome.

* * *

Next chapter, the Russo-Ottoman War begins in earnest when two great armies clash in the Caucasus lead by four great women! We'll see the Turkish side of things first with another Helena chapter.

I love you all, peace out!


	21. The Ottoman Caucasian Offensive

Here we are for chapter twenty-one of Romans! This is a Helena chapter and The Russo-Ottoman War finally begins!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXI.

The Ottoman Caucasian Offensive.

* * *

Fatimah and I arrived in Erivan - known as Yerevan to the local Armenians - where we joined our Anatolian army - the Anadolu Ordusu. Our plan was quite simple, we were going to send out the declaration of war and attack as the declaration was on route - my Anadolu Ordusu would conquer through Georgia and march north into Abkhazia and Circassia, forming a Turkish occupied zone connecting Crimea and our Caucasian land, safe guarding our planned supply route. Meanwhile, the Kirim Ordusu would entrench itself in Crimea with satellite forces positioned on the steppe while the Balkan Ordusu shall join forces with our vassals in Wallachia and Moldavia to hold off the Poles. I intend to bring those two regions under direct Turkish control soon, but if the Romanian Princes can prove their worth to me in battle, perhaps I shall allow them to keep their autonomy - hopefully that possibility will be enough to motivate them to fight as hard as possible. We were expecting a Polish offensive on Moldavia while Russia tried for Crimea first, meanwhile, we would take the chance to knock Georgia out of the war, prevent Russia from into Caucasia, and secure our naval supply chain from Konstantiniyye to Crimea. Once the first volleys of the war were fired, if we managed to succeed on every front, the Balkan Ordusu will focus on mocking The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth out of the war while the Kirim Ordusu will strike at Tsaritsyn and gain a foothold on the Volga - the river that is the life blood of central Russia and controlling even a small part of it will send Anastasia and her Tsardom into disarray, the war will move from a stalemate along the Black Sea into a humiliating defeat of the Russians.

Of course, I didn't know exactly what Russia was up to, I didn't know how prepared they were, and I didn't know how many men they were willing to field in this war, however, I had to assume that the Anadolu Ordusu was at least a match for Russia's army. Our army was thirty-two thousand men strong with eighteen thousand infantry and fourteen thousand cavalry, meanwhile, we had roughly six thousand more men when accounting for the wild Tatar horsemen who joined us to face their Russian enemies - many of these were from the Kazakh Khanate which was next in Russia's expansion into Central Asia, however, the Khanate itself was not declaring war, merely sending money to help in our war and, with any luck, give the Kazakh Horde a chance to stand against the Russians later. That gave us roughly thirty-eight thousand men and we had seventy-seven cannons with us, this was certainly a formidable force and I was certain that, if we do face the Russians in battle, we will be able to stand against them and, win or lose, we will not crumble time and time again like the Poles - Konstantiniyye will not be under siege like Warsaw was - we will fight the Russians on the periphery and I will ensure that, no matter what happens, our Balkan and Anatolian heartlands remain untouched by this war. There is no shame in ending a war once it is clearly lost, especially when the land we are fighting over is far from the most valuable part of The Ottoman Empire - if this were a war over Egypt or the Levant, it would be a different story.

Fatimah and I have grand plans for Egypt and the Levant that will make them even more valuable while all our plans for Crimea and the Caucasian region are centered on defending the territory from future Russian attacks - even if we hold on to Crimea and the Caucasus, that just means we have a peace treaty for five or ten years that Anastasia will spend preparing for another attempt at conquering it - of course, she won't stop there, she'll go for Trabzon and the Balkans next, then her successors will want to wrap around the Caspian Sea to provide another link between Caucasia and their coveted lands in Central Asia - south of the steppe lie the great Turco-Persian trade cities of Samarkand and Merv, ravaged by the Mongol Hordes yet still holding a great position along the Silk Road.

The Silk road was still a valuable trade route even if trade in Asia is shifting towards the ports of India and China thanks to the great European trade vessels sailing for the Orient - now that is largely the fault of us Ottomans as well as the Venetians and the Genoese, we bought the Silk road goods to sell them to Europe for more than we spent, however, the Venetians and Genoese who bought them from us put their own mark-up on the price, meaning that the goods the Europeans could now buy in Indian ports were being sold by land at the cost of two price hikes, both of those price hikes were quite massive - especially in times of war and we were regularly at war against the Venetians and the Genoese who were at war with each other quite often as well. Ultimately, Turkish and Italian merchants made trade for oriental goods so expensive that it became far more economically sound for Europeans to actually sail all the way around Africa and through the Indian Ocean, we accidentally set in motion the death of the Silk Road, but while it still lives and breathes, Merv and Samarkand are desirable conquests for both the Russians and the Persians and, in order to establish regional control, the Russians and Persians will always find more Ottoman territories to covet. The unfortunate reality of being a world superpower like The Ottoman Empire is that we have a plethora of enemies, all of whom interest themselves in our land.

A plethora of enemies across every continent in the old world with many of those enemies holding colonies in the new world as well, it wasn't quite us against the world but it was close and perhaps the traditionalists did have a point to some extent, The Ottoman Empire was built on war and our institutions were geared towards war and if our enemies don't fear us declaring war on them over a piece of land like Circassia or Fars, what's to stop them from plotting to take land from The Ottoman Empire? War was horrible, we sent thousands of men off to die over land disputes, life should never be considered secondary to borders on a map, but the world was not built for such grand, optimistic ideas - The Ottoman Empire is built for war and it is quite good at it, conquest is perhaps the defining element of our civilization, what does The Ottoman Empire look like without war? What does the world look like if The Ottoman Empire doesn't wage war? What happens to the land we already own if we don't want to expand? I don't want war, I don't see any avenues for expansion that are both easy and valuable, but if the traditionalists want war, if Fatimah wants war, if The Ottoman Empire wants war...does my stance really matter?

I don't know, but I do know that, no matter what I do, there will be massive bloodshed and losses during my reign because of this war against Russia - along with our previous war against Portugal - and that there will be massive bloodshed in the wars of every Sultan that comes after me, so perhaps, rather than avoiding war, I should be searching for the smartest and safest wars to declare - if I have to fight a war, I want to ensure that The Ottoman Empire wins, that we gain valuable land or gold, and that our wars end before they take a told on the Turkish population. Perhaps that will be enough, however, I fear that Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists will never be satisfied so long as there is a woman at the head of their agnatic Empire. The traditionalists have a lot of military men in their ranks, perhaps that's pretty much all that they have, perhaps they have much, much more than they haven't showed yet, I don't know and, quite frankly, that's the reason why I don't just blatantly attack them, I want to know how big their group is and whether or not they truly did organize that Levantine assassination - if they did, then I need to be careful, all our plans and ambitions for The Ottoman Empire will mean nothing if Fatimah and I are killed.

Thus, it seems that my reign truly will be the peak of The Ottoman Empire, either we will stagnate and learn that The Ottoman Empire is unable to support its own weight without near-constant war and growth or we will keep growing and waging war until the Europeans finally band together and devastate us while the Persians charge our eastern border and the Russians come down from the north to wreak havoc across our Empire. I wish that there was another way, but circumstances have already made war inevitable, no matter what happens in Persia or along the Mediterranean, I'm arriving in Erivan with Fatimah to attack The Kingdom of Georgia and The Tsardom of Russia, if they win, our enemies will gather around us like hungry wolves looking for revenge after centuries of Turkish expansion, if we win, we guarantee that Tsarina Anastasia will attack again with greater ferocity and likely with a larger set of allies. No matter what happens, the end of this war will not be the end, it will only be the beginning, my values are irrelevant, there will be pain and suffering and war in the future.

"This is only the beginning, isn't it?" I asked Fatimah, finally voicing my thoughts.

"What do you mean?" she asked, hesitating just a bit.

"Win or lose, this war is just going to lead to more wars." I clarified, I suspected that she knew as much, I mean she was planning for an invasion of Sicily and who knows what other plans she made - perhaps I shouldn't be mad, perhaps she's just trying to protect me by shielding me from the wars I obviously don't want while simultaneously being prepared for any possibility. I know Fatimah has good intentions, but it really would be easier to pretend that this could be the last war of my reign if she was on my side - but at the same time, the pragmatic part of my brain knows that its better to be prepared for each and every war than to be caught off guard, especially given the magnitude of our enemies - all in all, there's no way of winning this. I just hope that, together, Fatimah and I can reach a compromise where we fight those wars that she desires and that The Ottoman Empire perhaps needs without bringing the whole weight of Europe down on us - my goal is to ensure my son is at the helm of the best Empire possible, at one point, I thought war would do the trick, then I saw the gruesome reality of war and I turned towards Fatimah's plans for the Empire itself, but now those plans include war and I legitimately cannot find an argument against it, especially not with the traditionalist faction threatening us and pressuring us into expanding the Empire.

"I have to say Helena...I don't think this is going to be the last war of your reign, the Europeans have spent centuries looking for Ottoman weakness and I don't think that even their little holy war will stop them, and if we win...well, I get the feeling that Anastasia will be relentless and try again and again until she gets what she wants. I don't think this is the end of our wars, but I think that, no matter what happens, it would be best to pick our next war on our terms." Fatimah told me, very calmly and very frankly. I didn't necessarily like her answer but I appreciated her honesty and I knew that she had a point.

"What do you propose?" I tentatively asked.

"Sicily." Fatimah pointed out, she was sticking with the plan she showed me "Spain's forces are spread throughout the globe, growing their colonies in the new world, extracting wealth, fighting off the Dutch revolt, and battling the Protestants alongside their fellow Habsburgs, they're spread too thin and they are vulnerable. Now, I know that the Europeans will find this controversial, but I thought of that too, we can send covert aid to the Swedes in order to support their war against the Catholic Imperials - the French are supporting them too so our combined aid combined with the ferociousness of the Swedes should see some massive Protestant victories. That should distract Spain's Imperial allies, leaving us up against Spain, The Papal States, The Knights Hospitaller, and perhaps Venice. We can win that fight and entrench ourselves on the island before the other Europeans have a chance to respond. The last time an Islamic civilization held on the Sicily they lasted a few centuries, why couldn't we?" Fatimah was excited about this plan, she had this glint in her eye and I imagine that she has been hiding her euphoria ever since she looked into the invasion and realized that it was possible, however, possible does not mean easy and I don't want to get caught into a prolonged war, especially when I doubt if it really is even possible to isolate our enemies down to just Spain, Venice, and a few minor powers.

"Muslim Sicily was a long time ago and the Spanish Empire wasn't even part of the equation back then Fatimah..." I disagreed with her, but seeing that glint in my lover's eye, seeing the expression of the woman who was, for all intents and purposes, my wife, I didn't quite have the heart to say no, but my mind would not allow me to give a definitive answer either "I don't know, right now, I think we should concentrate on the war here and now, we'll think about our enemies and about Sicily when this war is over, who knows, by then, the political landscape of Europe may have changed drastically. I don't trust the Europeans to be able to maintain this status quo for much longer, Germany has been in a state of total war for almost five years now, how much longer could they really keep this up for a petty religious struggle? I mean the Protestants in Bohemia were already killed or driven out...what are they even fighting for?"

"I don't know Helena, but I do think we should take advantage of their struggle." Fatimah advised me and that was that for this conversation, we returned to the present situation, gathering our army in Erivan - the Armenian fortress city would be my base of operations for the time being, if I can push far enough and secure enough victories, I may move to a more advanced position in Georgia or even in southern Russia, if our offensive fails, then we shall retreat to the mighty walls of the Armenian fortress, analyze the situation, and then Fatimah and I will plan accordingly. No matter what happens, no matter what my opinion on war is, this struggle was unavoidable - The Ottoman Empire and The Tsardom of Russia have been on a collision course from the very beginning when the Turks took Constantinople whilst the Patriarch of Moscow proclaimed an independent Orthodox Church, two civilizations claimed to be the successor of The Byzantine Empire and thus the Third Rome, it was only a matter of time until the struggle over prestige and history turned into an actual struggle - and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that, win or lose, the terms are the terms best for The Ottoman Empire.

* * *

"The declaration of war has been sent, my Sultana," Fatimah bowed as we stood outside of the walls of Erivan, the Anadolu Ordusu before us. Hundreds of banners flew in front of me, various combinations of greens, reds, whites, and golds displaying various combinations of stars, crescents, scimitars, and Arabic script - the banners were quite diverse, but they were all united in the fact that they were Ottoman banners. Some for Turks, some for Kurds, some for Armenians, some for Greeks, some for Arabs - the peoples of Anatolia were diverse and the Ottoman Army of Anatolia reflected that, but we were united in that we were about to march off together to war. I faced my troops - I hated war, I hated sending off men to die, but war was literally irreversible now and I had to send these men off to war somehow - the fact that I would be with them as we attacked in Georgia helped, the fact that we won the last war in Arabia helped, and, for me, the fact that Fatimah was at my side helped. I took a deep breath and tried to summon as much confidence as I possibly could, feeling Fatimah's warm, soft hand in my grasp finally gave me the inspiration I needed and feeling the cool metal of her golden ring against my skin reminded me that there is a reason to fight. I knew what I had to say to these soldiers.

"Soldiers of The Ottoman Army! My name is Helena of Gothia, Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire and mother of Sultan Abdullah-Timur I. Today, we are at war with Russia! These pretenders to the Roman throne seek to invade our lands, annex our territories, and convert our Muslim brothers and sisters! They want to take Armenia and Azerbaijan! For many of you, these are your homelands! Are you going to allow these Slavic barbarians from some frigid city in the north to take your land, your brothers, and your livelihoods away? I am not! I was born twenty-one years ago in The Principality of Theodoro in what is now Ottoman Crimea - I will defend my homeland - will you defend yours?" I asked my riled up soldiers and they gave a resounding yes, they will defend their lands and they will fight the Russians, but I think that I can do something a little stronger and truly motivate this predominantly Sunni Muslim army of mine to fight viciously...this is something I never thought I would do given that I was born and raised as an Orthodox Christian thinking that The Ottomans were a threat to our very way of life, but things have changed tremendously and I now have tremendous power, including the tremendous power to proclaim holy war on my enemies "Then I, as the de facto Caliph, successor of the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Ottoman Caliphs, blessing be upon them, declare jihad on Russia!"

That did the truck, my soldiers would fight like lions against The Tsardom of Russia and in the corner of my eye I could see that Fatimah was proud of me, unfortunately, that pride didn't make me feel as good as it should have, in fact, I didn't feel very good at all. Not only did I declare a war but I brought religion into it, I felt like I was only escalating things and escalating them, and...if this is what I'm going to do when the circumstances call for it, can I really say that I'm fighting for peace in The Ottoman Empire? Because right now, I'm clearly doing the opposite. I shook my head and turned to Fatimah, giving her a hug - my own actions left me feeling sick to my stomach but there was no other way - I just hope that my declaration doesn't come back to haunt me.

* * *

The declaration of war was still on its way to Moscow by the time we actually crossed the border into Georgia, but that didn't stop King Constantine IV of Georgia from raising a response, however, I could tell that he was rushed and I could tell that he knew damn well he was going to be defeated - his intention was not to win, his intention was to buy time for his Russian allies - he no doubt sent a messenger north to wherever the Russians were gathering their forces, that messenger is long gone by now, however, I can make sure that his diversion fails. Roughly eight thousand Georgians with twelve cannons faced down thirty-eight thousand Ottoman troops and allied forces with seventy-seven cannons, the odds were clearly in our favor as we battled near the southern Georgian fortress town of Rustavi, just south of the capital of Tiflis. The Battle of Rustavi had begun.

My troops advanced in a curve, trying to surround the Georgians and slaughter them, however, Constantine IV and his forces slowly backed away - not a retreat, this was a planned maneuver - while his cannons battered our men. Fatimah ordered our cannons to fire but our troops were blocking the cannons because of how widely they were lined up to encircle the enemy. Our cannon crews were scrambling the move the heavy, awkward cannons, but they were making progress, unfortunately, the Georgian cannons were having a field day with our troops in the mean time - we could not just wait for cannons to get into position or for our troops to catch up with the Georgians, therefore, I ordered a cavalry charge - Ottoman cavalry will focus on the cannons while the Tatar volunteers will do what they do best - harass, distract, and slice apart the infantry.

The Georgian terrain wasn't too conducive to cavalry but given that the Georgians were literally backing up, they weren't exactly rushing either - the flip side to that is the Georgians are prepared to strike with their pikes, guns, and swords at a moment's notice - so, mere minutes after the order was given, the battle began in earnest. The cannons stopped firing once our cavalry arrived but the Georgians had small numbers of infantry protecting the cannons rather than fighting on the main line so those men sacrificed themselves while the Georgian cannon crews managed to retreat with their cumbersome artillery. The fact that the Georgian cannons escaped to fight another day was not ideal, I would've preferred to have captured those cannons, but that's a lost cause now - I ordered my cavalry to join the main battle with the Kazakh horsemen. Lances, sabers, and pistols were the weapons of choice for our cavalrymen as they thinned the ranks of Constantine's army and slowed them down to the point that our troops were within striking distance.

Suddenly, as quickly as they attacked, the cavalry cleared away, returning to the flanks of our large, curved formation, prepared to go in for the kill when the time was right. Our sheer numbers would be enough to win the battle and the fact that our artillery was now positioned on high hills surrounded the battle only served to make our victory that much more complete, therefore, I should have seen King Constantine's next order coming. Constantine's bravest men ferociously charged our ranks, pikes, swords, fists, and guns swinging and firing at anything the could while the majority of soldiers retreated with the King. A more experienced general would have seen this coming, a more experienced general would have reacted more quickly, a more experienced general would have used our superior numbers to both end the charge and stop the Georgian retreat, but I was downright stunned and so was Fatimah. We were both good at planning, however, neither of us were very good at reacting when our plans didn't work out.

Our men finished off the attacking Georgians and we made the call to camp for the night - our troops were exhausted from the fight, frustrated at our failure, and they knew they were about to lay siege to Rustavi and, beyond that, to Tiflis itself - Constantine IV did exactly what he had intended to do, he slowed us down and he escaped with his cannons and with enough of his soldiers to serve as an excellent base for a proper army - this was not Georgia's proper fighting force, this was a rushed response to our invasion and I'm certain that Georgia will be back sooner rather than later. We have won The Battle of Rustavi, but it is very much a pyrrhic victory, now I'm very worried that Tsarina Anastasia will be able to respond very soon and, from what I know of her, she'll want a brutal, lightning victory that will shatter our Empire just like she shattered The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I am determined to stand up and stop her.

* * *

The walls of Rustavi finally crumbled after two weeks of siege and we moved on Tiflis, all the while I was certain that Russian troops were getting closer and closer - my spies in Russia don't know much, but from the approximate location of the Russian army, the implication is that the army was already travelling across the steppe to the coast, Anastasia wanted to start the war from Georgia, I've denied her that, hopefully I can continue to trouble her and continue to surprise her and, hopefully, that will translate to success in this war.

I knew Tsarina Anastasia was coming and I figured that King Constantine IV was gathering a force to face us, therefore, I knew that I had to work fast. I had to capture Tiflis - with any luck Constantine and his forces will be preoccupied with retaking their capital rather than joining up with the Russians - I'm not sure how large that the Russian army will be and I'm not sure if even Constantine knows how many troops he'll be able to muster after Rustavi without being able to recruit soldiers from Tiflis, but I do think that their combined forces can very much outnumber us and, based on how Russia fought about Poland and how those brave Georgians charged us, they can very well overwhelm us. Fatimah and I will need to capture Tiflis and move on to face the Russian army before them - I am confident that I can defeat the Russians and the Georgians separately, on my own terms - this war will require crucial timing.

My troops surrounded Tiflis and my cannons began firing upon the city whilst the defenders returned fire with their own guns - Fatimah and I watched from a distant hill just uphill from our main camp - The Siege of Tiflis was underway, Constantine IV denied me the chance of knocking Georgia out of the way, but at least without their largest city and main fortress, their ability to wage war will be diminished somewhat. The Georgian defenders were trying their hardest to harass our besieging men but a barrage of seventy-seven Turkish cannons silenced their resistance - the Georgians would not get the chance to harass us again, they would have to work hard enough to keep their walls intact. The walls were strong and modern though, so, the siege would continue, my cannons would batter the walls to pieces just like we did at Rustavi and at hundreds of Venetian, Habsburg, and Spanish fortresses all around the fringes of The Ottoman Empire. Tiflis would be just another fortress to fall before The Ottomans, but will it fall before we are encircled by Anastasia's Russian army and Constantine's Georgians?

"Come to the tent, you're stressed." Fatimah wrapped her arms around my waist and kissed my cheek before pulling me over to our grand tent, shutting it behind us. Fatimah rubbed my shoulders, kissed me lightly, and tried her best to make me feel as comfortable as possible - I did appreciate the gesture, but the semi-regular volleys of seventy-seven cannons made it hard to relax, even if those cannons were on our side. I couldn't shake this feeling that, despite catching Anastasia off-guard, King Constantine IV did enough to erase that advantage and, on top of all that, he kept himself alive as a threat. This was not the ideal start to a war and, while yes, Fatimah and I can try and plan, we can figure out hos to make things better, but, quite frankly, we are on the front lines and that means that there is always a chance that one, if not both of us ends up hurt or even killed.

"How are you so calm?" I asked Fatimah, I'm sure she was as stressed out as I was, she was dealing with the same situation as me and perhaps even more details that she opted not to weigh on me, but she seemed fine...better than I was handling anyway.

"I'm not Helena...my mind is in a thousand places at once right now, but I'm trying to be strong for you...but I need you to be strong for me too and I need you to be even stronger for the troops. We are doing well, we can win this war, we are going to be okay. We are going to be okay, understand?" Fatimah emphasized, it was clear that she wanted war and that it was central to many of her plans - perhaps even in ways she hasn't clarified yet, however, she was not going to drag me kicking and screaming into a war - Fatimah was determined to make war as comfortable and painless as possible for me, she knew that she was able to cope with death and responsibility better than I was. If she had to hold my hand all the way through a war, she was prepared to do it, and I was eternally grateful to that. I don't think that I could ever be physically attracted to men, at this point I pretty firmly consider myself a lesbian, but I think that my marriage with Suleiman III would have been a lot better for me if he so much as gave me a tenth of the amount of support that Fatimah gives me.

"We're going to be okay..." I repeated her promise as we fell asleep in each other's arms in our tent. The Siege of Tiflis entering its first night in the distance, the soldiers going to their tents to rest, and the commanders plotting the next day's events all faded into nothingness as I listened to only myself and Fatimah, two women breathing softly, two hearts beating in perfect rhythm...it all seemed so perfect, but I knew that this wasn't going to last, the war was only going to get more intense from here on out and these calm moments, these moments of love and care...they will only get rarer and rarer before eventually fading away into oblivion. I'm sure many generals have seen their marriages torn apart by war and the related stress, I can only hope that doesn't happen to Fatimah and I - however, I don't know if the two of us being on the front together is a blessing or a hindrance in that respect.

* * *

We were going to be okay, but Tiflis would not be. Day after day we bombarded the walls - the fortress surrounded the city shook thanks to our cannons, bits of rubble fell and fell as the walls grew weaker and weaker bit by bit - if we were up against medieval walls, Tiflis would have fell by now, but instead, we were up against a modern fortress. Star forts had short walls but they were thick and heavy, designed to take the brunt of cannons, however, as fortresses grew more advanced, so did cannons - cannons which could be reloaded far faster and far more easily during a siege than walls could be repaired. Seventy-seven cannons were tearing the walls apart and we had Tiflis surrounded, choking the life out of the city, separating them from their food supplies and preventing them from escaping from the constant bombardment, the smoke, and, very likely, the disease as well. Conditions inside cities deteriorated rapidly during a siege, the air filled with smoke, the water supply was often poisoned, at times deliberately, and they were forced to rely on the city's food stores in increasingly scarce rations, thus, cities under siege were a breeding ground for disease. Starvation and disease were far more effective at ending sieges than cannons, unfortunately, the Russians were coming and the Georgians were reforming their army, thus, we didn't have time to wait on disease or starvation to finish off Tiflis.

"My Sultana-regent! My Grand Vizier!" a messenger ran up to us and bowed, I nodded, giving him permission to speak "There has been a collapse along the northeastern wall, the Georgians are trying to patch it up with palisades but the gap in the rubble is still big enough to charge through! Commander Muhammad Aziz Pasha is asking for permission to attack!"

"Granted." Fatimah responded after a momentarily glancing at me - Fatimah was better at this than I was, I knew that, but I did like that she was still deferring to me and respecting the chain of command. I know that we disagree on war, but she really is the ideal Grand Vizier and the ideal woman for me, maybe her planning to attack Sicily behind my back was a betrayal, maybe she did wrong me, but I didn't feel betrayed or wronged, not really anyway. I'm not happy that she did it, but I'm not angry at her either, our relationship is a thousand times healthier than the relationship I had with my husband, damn those who would damn homosexuals, our love doesn't hurt anyone, our love is beneficial for The Ottoman Empire.

Thus, the assault began, Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, and people representing every single group of Ottoman Anatolia stormed over the rubble, past the palisades and against the Georgians. The defenders fought fiercely in defense of Tiflis and to keep Georgia in the war, but our numbers were greater, we overpowered the Georgians and our troops had the whole city occupied two hours later, Tiflis was finally crushed. Perhaps I should have left a garrison in Tiflis, but I didn't have the time and I needed all the numbers I could get against Russia, besides, the walls were pretty much finished anyway, it would take months to repair the damage and doing that wasn't worth it for Georgia, a secondary power in this war. My focus was already on taking on Russia, Georgia was irrelevant, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was irrelevant, anyone else that Anastasia dragged into this war was irrelevant, Russia was the biggest threat to The Ottoman Empire and I had to stop them. Thus, as soon as Tiflis fell and our troops were rested, we marched off towards Abkhazia, marching towards Russia.

* * *

There is a thin plain near the town of Tskhumi that lies between the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains, a cool breeze came over the plan, our banners flying in the wind, pointing ominously towards the snow covered mountains. It was spring, but it was still cold and, in the mountains, it was snowing - winters were getting colder and colder for longer and longer, that has been going on as long as anyone can remember and, in this war, that change threatens to actually effect us, however, both Russia and I have bigger things to worry about than the weather.

Last night we could see the Russian campfires in the distance and they no doubt saw ours, so, as we marched towards each other on the Abkhazian lowlands at the base of the mountains, battle was inevitable. Nearly thirty eight thousand Ottoman troops stood on the plain - we had take some losses and received some reinforcements so it was rather difficult to determine our exact numbers at this stage - opposite of us, the Russians gathered. On one side there were Turkish troops in red uniforms flying the various banners of The Ottoman Empire, on the other side, there was the Russians, soldiers dressed in predominantly green uniforms armed with pikes and guns flying gold flags with the black double-headed eagle of The Tsardom of Russia with the white, gold, and blue horseman on a red shield of The Grand Principality of Muscovy on the eagle's chest. The double-headed eagle of the Palaiologos dynasty, the final rulers of The Byzantine Empire while the star and crescent symbol of The Ottoman Empire is derived from the ancient heraldic arms of Constantinople, now Konstantiniyye. We were both heirs to Rome, Russia claimed it by religion and by dynastic descent while we claimed it because we conquered their lands and because we had the true religious claim - The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople recognized The Ottomans as the successor to the Byzantines - but whoever had the better claim didn't really matter right now, this fight was going to be settled on the battlefield. A tense silence developed as Fatimah pointed to a positioned behind the Russian lines at two blue eyed blonde women in a feminine version of the Russian uniform. Tsarina Anastasia and one of her sisters...this really would be a battle for the title of Third Rome.

Fatimah and I made the call first, advancing our men towards the Russians. Anastasia responded with unleashing her cannons, throwing up dust and throwing some of our men into the air, but we didn't stop, we kept advancing towards the Russians as Fatimah ordered the cavalry the once again attack their cannons, just like we did against the Georgians. The Tatar horsemen were impossibly quick and surely would have reached the cannons had we been up against anyone else, but the Russians have been battling Tatar horsemen for four centuries and their own super fast horsemen, the Cossacks, intercepted the Kazakhs and halted that charge before Russia's heavier cavalry - Hussars, both on the Hungarian and Polish models, as well as the even heavier armored lancers - arrived and pushed back our Kazakh allies, the rest of our cavalry reached them too late and were pushed back to our flanks by the heavier Russian cavalry. In any case, our cavalrymen fighting in front of the Russian cannons neutralized that threat, however, our cannons were useless too - neither of us could fire without blowing up our own cavalry, thus, this turned into a straightforward infantry battle as Russia's less numerous but more modern and more armored yet simultaneously just as fast cavalry began winning the battle on horseback.

The first volleys of gunfire were exchanged as our forces neared each other on the plains of Abkhazia. I hated to admit it, but the Russians were faster with their guns and their formation favored firing more often than using their pikes, therefore, I had to get my troops in close as I our pike favoring formation would fare better in close range. Pike and shot formations were a staple of European warfare and we had adopted it too, not wishing to be left behind, there exist two schools right now, the traditional school which favors the pike - this is the one favored by the Spanish and the Portuguese with their Tercios - and the other school is the one that favors the shot, this one is used by many of the small Protestant German states such as Nassau and Hesse, along with several more significant powers such as the Netherlands, who are actually facing the Spanish Tercios in combat on a regular basis. We were more along the Spanish example while the Russians clearly favored the shot, time will only tell which is truly the right choice.

Our troops clashed but, unexpectedly, the Russians transitioned with impossible speed from favoring the shot to fighting ferociously with the pike - I cursed at Anastasia, she used the Polish army as a test bed for her troops and knocked out any and all deficiencies in their army because they got to fight against the actual army of an actual power, we fought against some Arabian puppet states propped up by the Portuguese Empire halfway across the old world - no wonder they had the edge, we might as well have been children fighting against hardened veterans. Despite the superior numbers, our cavalry was getting pushed back, our infantry was being beaten, and, if we didn't do something drastic, Anastasia and her Russians would win The Battle of Tskhumi.

I turned to Fatimah, hoping that my Grand Vizier had a plan.

* * *

Oof, another cliffhanger, sorry not sorry. We will see the Russian perspective on The Battle of Tskhumi next chapter and find out whether or not Fatimah has a plan and what the Turks will do...not to mention how the Russians will respond. Anyway, that's all well and good but there is another good thing, with this chapter, The Legacy of The Romans has hit 200,000 words. This is my longest story ever and there is still so much to do - who will win The Russo-Ottoman War? Will Anastasia's grand plans for Europe go anywhere? Just what is going on with the traditionalists in The Ottoman Empire? I hope you'll stick around to see all those questions answered in the second half.


	22. The Battle of Tskhumi

Hello all, hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving - or a regular Thursday if you're not an American - but this is the first Russia chapter of the Russo-Ottoman War so we're about to burn some turkey. And on that terrible pun, here is chapter twenty-two, enjoy and please don't pelt me with fruit.

By the way, this chapter starts before the war, catches up to where we left off at the beginning of The Battle of Tskhumi, and continues afterwards. Chapter twenty-three will be a Turkish chapter of the Ottoman aftermath of the battle. Chapters are gonna start overlapping because the characters are reacting too each other, I will try and give rough timelines up here in the first author's note while avoiding spoilers as best I can.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXII.

The Battle of Tskhumi.

* * *

"Krystyna is on her way to Poland to take up command of the Armia z Besarabia, King Jan has insisted on commanding the Teutonic contingent on the left flank while Prince Matyas has volunteered to command the right flank of Transylvanians reinforced by Scots and Portuguese. Krystyna herself will command the Poles and Lithuanians in the center along with the cavalry beyond the flanks." Terezia reported, the situation was predictable. Johann von Konigsberg was in command of the Prussians while Krystyna was in overall command, directly leading the Poles and Lithuanians - doing exactly what the King of Poland should be doing...therefore, perhaps it won't be too much of a leap for the Polish Sejm to realize that she should be King of Poland. Prince Matyas of Transylvania, independent of the nonsense, was in command of the diverse addition to the Armia z Besarabia, I saw nothing wrong in this, after all, that contingent included many of his own men. I am confident that their combined forces will make short work of Besarabia, I am less confident about my relationship with Krystyna going forward now that she's spread her wings, left her little birdcage, and is ready to soar over Poland like the white eagle of their coat of arms. The goodbye I gave her before she left really did feel like a final goodbye. We would no longer be lovers, we'd be allies, and despite the alliance, in many ways, we'd be rivals - the interests of my Tsardom demand that I bring The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under ever stricter control and influence while the interests of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are obviously to regain their status as a great power without breaking our alliance which secures their long eastern border. I suppose this is my fault, after all, my grand visions for Krystyna as a vehicle for spreading Russian influence was only ever going to result in her being in some exuberant throne far away from Moscow.

Moscow, a remote city on a tributary of the mighty Volga, blessed and cursed by its position on the very fringes of Europe. Our remoteness has allowed us to press our borders far further from Moscow than any European power can ever hope to press their borders - England may have colonies, but England has no answer for the vast distance between Moscow and Yekaterinburg, a distance that is entirely Russian - however, our remoteness has also resulted in unique problems. For one, we were forced to suffer under the Mongol invasions, invasions which barely registered to the courts of western Europe. Secondly, we have a great population, but that is only do to our great size, all of Russia might as well be a backwater compared to places as densely populated as low countries or especially the exotic lands of India or China. Thirdly, we are a cold and starved land, leading to us pushing southwest into the Ukraine and Byelorussia for more farmland, this land will hopefully do wonders for Russia. Krystyna, meanwhile, will be in Warsaw, the capital of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - one of the least densely populated countries in Europe, mind you - where she lies just a mere stone's throw from The Holy Roman Empire, Sweden, the Turks, and, indeed, Russia.

Things are improving for us though, my expansion of Moscow will hopefully at least put my court on the map for European nobility, meanwhile, my settlement of the south of Russia will hopefully begin turning the vast, empty steppe into useful, valuable, arable land for the Tsardom of Russia, finally, my assault on Crimea will put us in touch with the trade networks of Venice, Genoa, and other Mediterranean powers which flow into the adjacent Black Sea, while, to the east, my assault on Caucasia puts Russia in touch with the great trade networks of Persia. Persian, Indo-Persian, and Turkic dynasties have dominated the Islamic world of the last few centuries, the Qara Qoyunlu of Persia are Turkmens, the Mughals of India descendants of the Uzbek warlord Timur, and The Ottomans originate from the Seljuk Turks - these dynasties were once joined by many Tatar and Mongol Lords across the Russian steppe, Lords that we annihilated - and thus, through Caucasia, Russia will be able to tap into some of the richness of Persia. I have grand ambitions for my state, but it seems that I will be embarking on those ambitions without a lover - for all the conquests, for all the construction, for all the trade, I won't have anybody to wrap their arms around me at night and allow me to fall asleep with a smile on my face, proud of myself and knowing I accomplished something.

"Anastasia, Terezia," Yelizaveta greeted as she entered the throne room - between her sister as Tsarina and her lover as a mistress of diplomacy, Yelizaveta has been more and more willing to involve herself in the affairs of the Russian state, something I am all too pleased with, she shall be a wonderful successor. She will also be many, many, many wonderful things for Terezia - I hope that the Transylvanian noblewoman realizes just how lucky she is to be with my little sister, even the bond of a full blood connection can barely keep me from ravishing her myself. On one hand, I wish that Yelizaveta and I weren't related so that we could at least be together in secret, but then I remember how promising she is as an heiress and how much time I have put into her - and will continue putting into her - to make her that, I can't just forsake our blood relation. Once again, the interests of the Tsardom of Russia interfere with my love life, but I know that, if I was a better woman, I would be content to let myself be miserable in order to allow my Russia to prosper, but I'm not sure that I can bring prosperity to Russia until I find a way to bring prosperity back into my own life - preferably, prosperity that is not at odds with my political interests.

"Hello Liz," I smiled warmly at her, a smile which she reciprocated before hugging Terezia from behind, wrapping her arms around the Hungarian brunette's waist and kissing her neck - this only made me feel more alone, I could practically feel my arms around Krystyna, I could practically touch her as her body melted into mine, I could practically kiss those eager sinful lips...but she was already gone, and with her, I wasn't safe from myself anymore. I caught myself downright possessed by seeing my little sister so boldly touching another woman, fantasizing that I was in Terezia's place or that I was in Yelizaveta's place and her in Terezia's. Krystyna had provided me a reprieve from these incestuous feelings, but she was gone, and with her, my reprieve. I shook my head and tried to get those thoughts out of my head by changing the subject and focusing on the war - focusing on my duties as Tsarina "We were just discussing the coming war."

"Oh, I'm coming with you." Yelizaveta said nonchalantly, as if I already knew that - I didn't. Yelizaveta did accompany me during the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth but I had different plans this time, plans that were far more political in nature. I wanted to use this war as a chance to test Yelizaveta as my heiress with the added benefit of time and apart finishing off those incestuous feelings once and for all - however, between the return of those feelings and Liz wanting to accompany me, it seems that I have already failed. I would have thought that Yelizaveta would be happy to remain in Moscow with Terezia while I was off at war, sure she wouldn't have me and she would have certain responsibilities as my regent, but she would also have the benefit of Terezia at her side and I would have left thought-out instructions for potential scenarios - everything from the arrival of foreign diplomats to raids by the Hordes of Central Asia to a Muscovite peasant revolt was mapped out with a specific response, I made sure of that. I thought I was doing the right thing for the both of us by separating us, but the fact that Liz thought it was a given that she would accompany me is making me question that. I sighed, an absolutist monarch shouldn't be questioning herself, not even for family, I was the ruler and I knew best, but, when it comes to family, I didn't follow my own rules...something tragically reflected in the incestuous feelings I have for Yelizaveta, feelings I know are impossible, unnatural, and unwelcome.

"Liz...I was thinking that you would stay here in Moscow as regent." I countered weakly, I already knew that I didn't have it in me to say no to her, I would voice my opinion but I didn't have the heart to press the issue. I was well aware that Terezia was more than capable of being regent of Russia alone - though I did feel rather unsure about giving so much power to such a recent arrival to Moscow, but I trusted Terezia because she hasn't failed me now and because her loyalty was guaranteed by her relationship with Yelizaveta - it was easy to betray a foreign country, it was significantly harder to betray the court of your lover, especially when your lover is the heir to that court's throne. Nevertheless, this wasn't the way I wanted to do it...well, it was, in a way - the depraved part of me certainly wanted be back in a little tent with my little sister wearing nothing but a short nightgown, but my logical side put down those vile feelings - however, my plans didn't seem to matter that much, Yelizaveta made the decision and it was going to stand. She would be along with me for the war, the feelings were returning - perhaps for her too - but we would deal with that in due time. My plans when it came to Liz and I were derailed, but I would not let that derail my plans for the war, thus, Terezia would be regent alone while Liz and I would continue on to Tsaritsyn. There, we would meet with General Mikhailovich and The Russian Imperial Army, make our final preparations, and in the early spring of 1623, we would march off to war.

* * *

"The Princes of medieval Russia converted to Russian Orthodoxy thanks to envoys from the Byzantine Empire who beat out Islamic envoys from the steppe. These envoys called themselves Romans and thus, we called their ruler Tsar - derived from Caesar - and their capital was Tsargrad. Tsargrad was once the heart of Orthodox civilization, now, minarets stand where there should be church towers. The mantle of Orthodox civilization and, indeed, Roman civilization, has passed to Moscow, it is our mission to expand at the expense of the Turks. Crimea and Caucasia is just the beginning, after that, we will deny the Turks of ruling over their Turkic brethren in central Asia, beyond that, well...that choice is up to you and our heirs." I explained to Yelizaveta as we arrived in Tsaritsyn. Now that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been pacified, the principal enemies of the Tsardom of Russia are The Ottoman Empire, The Kingdom of Sweden who rivals us in the Baltic, and whichever dynasty emerges as the ruler of China, as Russia's expansion to the east leaves us on a collision course which China. China has always struggled with its northern neighbor and replacing mere Hordes with a European great power stretching from the Baltic to the Pacific is certain to outrage the Lords of China, whoever those may be by the time we reach the east. I need Yelizaveta to understand who our enemies are, because, while I intend to weaken Sweden and expand Russia to the east and south, after this war, our policy towards The Ottomans will largely be dictated by my successors.

"Though if we move too quickly to destroy them, won't the other European powers just pounce on their weakness and one enemy will be replaced with another?" Yelizaveta asked, clever girl - she was already growing accustomed to the affairs of European states - the powers of western Europe would never allow us to take Konstantiniyye and restore Tsargrad, but they would be all too happy to partition the fringes of the Empire amongst themselves. The Ottomans are universally hated in Europe, but they survive because the Europeans are unwilling to allow their local rivals to gain a powerbase in the Balkans or North Africa. The Tsardom of Russia is partially guilty of this too, if we were solely devoted to destroying the Turks, we would have allied with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Holy Roman Empire long ago as, between the three of us, we could annihilate The Ottomans on land - naval support from Venice and Spain would guarantee a total victory - but we never did, because The Holy Roman Empire and formerly The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are our enemies too. Krystyna and her claims across Europe will create a potentially bothersome state, however, the fact that her claims are to a variety of separate Kingdoms will hopefully result in them remaining separate - a group of secondary powers emerging in the east and south of Europe is a lot more manageable than a single, united great power running across those regions. The latter is a threat, the former are nuisances.

Krystyna would surely want to unite all her future realms into one state and be a great power, however, once again, our political interests are at odds with one another and, if necessary, I will use force to ensure that Krystyna's lands are divided amongst a variety of heirs. A great realm hasn't been divided in that way in Europe in decades due to states getting more and more centralized and absolutist, however, this will be an exception, I want to create states that I can influence, not states that are influential in their own right. Obviously one of us - either Krystyna or myself - is going to lose out in this struggle...and I don't intend to be a loser. My ambitions for Europe were grand and I was already planning decades ahead of how Russia could take advantage of these weak states to our west and the even weaker states of The Holy Roman Empire beyond that, but for now, my attention had to be focused on the war at hand. I had an army to lead into the Caucasus and, once I was there, I had to defeat one of the strongest and largest Empires in all of history.

The Ottoman Empire had a higher population than The Tsardom of Russia by a significant margin - the vision of an Empire stretching across four rivers - the Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, and the Danube - has resulted in the Turks absorbing a great population, with populations within the Empire ranging from Kurds to Berbers to Hungarians, however, this is both a blessing and a curse. The Turks are theoretically able to raise an army far greater than Russian, or indeed any European power can, the challenge for them is to try and convince people from places like Tripolitania or Bosnia to fight in a border conflict at the northern extreme of the Empire, thus, in reality, the Turks only have so many people who are willing to fight this war. That makes things far more even and I think the fact that my army was tested against a proper European power rather than a backwater colonial force led by pompous nobles - Terezia has been quite critical of the Portuguese being woefully unprepared for a war in Arabia - gives us an edge. My army is modern, my army is experienced, and my army is fighting for a worthy cause, that will give us an edge even if we lack an edge - and perhaps are at a deficit - in numbers.

"Correct, expansion for Russia gives no benefit if our enemies expand as well, even if it at the expense of another enemy. If Austria were to conquer Croatia that would weaken The Ottoman Empire but it would strengthen The Holy Roman Empire in kind, thus, we would have to gain even more land to counterbalance these Austrian gains, prompting the Habsburgs to respond...you see how this can escalate in an unsustainable way. We must expand in such a way that does not leave the door open for our enemies - with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, we accomplished this with alliance, meaning that Poland didn't become easy pickings for the greedy German states to its west." I explained, perhaps Yelizaveta being here wasn't all that bad, I could at very least use this as an opportunity to teach Liz more about how to be a Tsarina, such as now I was teaching her about the somewhat paradoxical nature of European power dynamics. It was not about getting stronger, it was about getting comparatively stronger - the distinction is subtle but crucial.

"So...what are your plans for your wars against Sweden and the Hordes then?" Yelizaveta asked, referencing the fact that I mentioned I would be at war with those powers rather than The Ottomans in the later part of my reign. I had great ambitions for the rest of my reign and equally great ambitions for the reign of Yelizaveta, and for the reign of our heirs - whether Sofiya does end up growing up to be a Tsarina like the two of us or chooses to pass the throne on to her children - my plans were mainly for expansion toward the east but I had a some changes that seemed minor on the map but would prove massive in reality had to occur in the west for Russia to truly be taken seriously by the powers of western Europe.

"We must prevent Sweden from taking control of The Lands of The Livonian Order, the German Lords of the Baltic are converting to Protestantism one after the other and the so-called defender of the faith in Stockholm will not hesitate to bring it under their control. The Baltic Sea can provide us with ice free ports and can extend our influence to the northern German states, we can not allow this to fall into Swedish hands." Sweden has delusions of a Dominium Maris Baltici, but we shall not allow that, we must fight the Swedes in the Baltic "As for the Hordes, they are sparsely populated and what few cities they have practically hate their own Tatar masters more than they hate us, expanding against them will be a purely academic affair, especially if we manage to isolate them diplomatically - which is one of my goals in this war against the Turks."

The Sibir, Uzbek, and Kazakh Khanates were the largest Khanates in our direct path, further to the east lie the true descendants of Genghis Khan - Mongolia, Oirat, and the Chagatai Khanate - but they too have been reduced to mere backwaters. The only significant Hordes left in the steppe are all the way over in Manchuria, where the Manchus have united together against an increasingly fragmented China, now a relic of Ming rule, but a very valuable relic. These Turkic and Mongol peoples of the steppe are also a relic, a relic of a bygone age where horsemen could dominate Russia, but now, Russia dominates the horsemen. The Hordes will all be annihilated one by one, the eastern expansion of Russia may be slow, but it is inevitable.

"Speaking of the Turks, shouldn't we make this war more than a border conflict after all? Why not use this as an opportunity to solidify our claim as the Third Rome?" Yelizaveta's proposal symbolized a breakthrough, that is exactly the kind of mind I need her to have as my heiress. She is already beginning to think of Russia as the great and prestigious Empire that it deserves to be. Russia is indeed the Third Rome and, in many ways, this war is already a struggle over who shall be the true successor, so Yelizaveta is right, why not go that extra step? My mind started moving fast and I came up with a subtle but unmistakable way of making our descent from Rome clear as day.

"The Roman Empire is associated with purple, a color rare in nature and difficult to dye, therefore, only the Emperors could afford to have it. Russia's banners are gold and red while our uniforms are green, that's no way to show descent from Rome, on the other hand, changing our symbols just before a war is a terrible idea that will just cause confusion and perhaps even disaster, so we need something small but distinct..." I trailed off in thought before the idea finally occurred to me "We'll fly purple ribbons below our flags, the same length and just a tiny gap between them. With just that little bit of fabric, for the first time in centuries, a Roman army will be marching off to war."

Thus, Yelizaveta and I had The Russian Imperial Army flying a simple purple ribbon just below the our flag - the black double-headed eagle with carrying the red shield with the white Muscovite horseman all on a golden background - the ribbons were absolutely striking. Nothing else flown by any army in Europe was purple...until now anyway, I felt like Caesar crossing the Rubicon as me and my army crossed the Volga, marching down from Tsaritsyn to the coast before turning east into Georgia and, beyond that, into Ottoman Caucasia. The war against the Turks had finally arrived and I felt impossibly powerful as it began. I was a Russian Tsarina, I was a Roman Empress, I was an absolutist monarch, I held unmatched power and I was about to show that to the whole world by finally being the one to defeat The Ottomans - I would be the one to turn the tide after two centuries of humiliation for Europe courtesy of The House of Osman. Now it would be the Turks humiliated for centuries, they would lose Crimea, they would lose their Caucasian territory, they would lose Moldavia - The Ottomans fought wars against Moldavia, Theodora, Genoa, and Persia to win these territories, but we would erase all that hard work in a single way - and thus, we would lay the foundations for future wars that will erase The Ottoman Empire entirely. This war is merely the beginning of a long decline for Russia's biggest rival, paving the war for my Tsardom to rise from the ashes like a Phoenix, burning bright on the world stage, challenged by none.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army was camping somewhere between Moscow and Tiflis when two vital messages arrived to me, one from each destination. I opened the letter from Tiflis first, I assumed that this was urgent news from King Constantine IV about his war preparations. Instead, I read the letter and found that the situation was far more serious - The Ottoman Empire had invaded The Kingdom of Georgia and was laying siege to a southern border fortress called Rustavi with Tiflis itself as their next target. I opened the Muscovite letter - Terezia had received a declaration of war from Konstantiniyye and wrote to me as soon as she received it, but it was already too late. It is clear what happened - The Ottomans attacked as they sent the declaration of war. I sighed, I had intended for the Turks to officially be the aggressors in this war, but I intended to force them to become the aggressors by provoking them with blatant militarism, however, it seems that I have been too blatant - Sultana Helena saw what I had been doing and preempted me by opening The Russo-Ottoman War with a lightning strike on Georgia. I would have to march my troops down to Georgia as soon as possible, force the Turkish army back, and then we would continue this war as normal. This is a less than ideal start to the war, I admit that, but with Yelizaveta at my side, supporting me, I'm confident that we can salvage our plans for the first half of the war.

"What's wrong?" Yelizaveta asked as I started marching towards Mikhailovich, my concerned little sister caught up and locked into step with me - she wanted to know what was going on, but she wasn't going to slow me down - she understand that this was important. I am grateful for Yelizaveta, out of everyone I know, she is most adjusted to what I have to do as Tsarina - my mother is still overcompensating for being gone during the first few months of that reign and it has honestly become more of a hindrance than a help, Sofiya wants nothing to do with politics right now, and with Krystyna, it was more about preparing her to reign to the west rather than about my rule in the east - with Yelizaveta, there is a teaching element too, but I have more time. The war cut off my relationship with Krystyna, both romantic and personal, but with Yelizaveta, I have all the time that I need - I literally have the rest of my life to teach Liz, that means that, when I need to focus on my reign, I can do it and Liz is far more accommodating than most of Moscow...and Kolomenskoye for that matter.

"Helena started the war early." I revealed to both Yelizaveta and General Mikhailovich at once, suddenly, three of the greatest minds in The Tsardom of Russia got to work drafting a response. We would march down to the coast and meet them on a coastal plain in the shadow of the Caucasus - we were confident in the ability of our cavalry and of our one hundred cannons, thus, a flat and open battlefield suited us - we would defeat the Turks and send them on the retreat, however, that was only the first step of the plan. The next step was for King Constantine IV to regroup his Georgian forces and cut off the Turkish retreat, forcing The Ottomans to either evacuate by sea or into the mountains. If the Turks retreat into the mountains, then nature will make short work of them - Helena started the war in early spring and that meant that there was plenty of snow, frost, and cold in those mountains to devastate any army unfortunate enough to be forced into them. If The Ottomans took to the sea, I would unleash my navy upon them - I had intend to keep my navy at bay until General Perevernykruchenko took Crimea so that I could not only wipe out the Turkish navy but also an embarked army, however, that retreat by sea would present that opportunity far earlier. In any case, once that was over with, the Georgians and I would join together and reclaim Rustavi and, if they manage to capture it, Tiflis as well.

* * *

Tiflis had fallen by the time we encountered the Turkish army on the plains near the town of Tskhumi. Every single Russian flag pole had the same gold and black flag on top, the purple banner below, and, in some cases, below the purple banners were small flags of their region within Russia - flags for places such as Rostov, Nizhny Novgorod, and Tsaritsyn - but the situation was very uniform. This contrasted incredibly with The Ottomans who didn't have a standardized banners - they were flying all sorts of combinations of stars, crescents, swords, and Arabic letters on various green, red, white, gold, or black banners - in terms of professionalism, we definitely looked like the more put together and standardized army. As I looked out further onto their cavalry, I caught distinctively different banners, the banners of The Kazakh Khanate. The Ottomans were being reinforced with Tatar horsemen, that only made it more important for me to isolate the Hordes from Konstantiniyye in my future wars, if I didn't intervene, it was only a matter of time before this unofficial collaboration turned into a full on alliance. It turned out to be a good thing that I was watching the Turkish cavalry because The Ottomans started with a cavalry charge, targeting our cannons.

"They're going for our cannons!" I yelled out, predicting the move, Mikhailovich rose his sword in the air and thrust it forward, giving our cavalry the order to charge. Our Cossacks, the fast masters of the steppe met their Tatar forefathers in battle - the word Cossack and the word Kazakh are derived from the same root, fitting as the Cossacks and the Kazakh horsemen are derived from the same tradition of steppe cavalry - however, the Cossacks were more advanced, civilized, tamed. The Cossacks were a brilliant mixture of Tatar and Russian, that is what made them so deadly, they could smash both Turkic and European cavalry. Our Cossacks were already gaining the upper hand and the arrival of our hussars and lancers were the killing blow. The cavalry battle meant that our cannons couldn't fire, however, neither could the Turkish cannons, therefore, I was satisfied with this development - I was willing for our technological advancements and superior tactics to decide this battle. Thus, our infantry clashed, a unified force of Russian squares with pikes and guns, all of them wearing the same green uniforms and fighting under the same banners came to blows with the chaotic Turkish forces, instantly portraying our superiority.

Yelizaveta tapped my shoulder and pointed, I followed her direction and I saw that the Turks launched their cavalry again to cover their artillery crews as they moved the cannons around - The Ottomans wanted to fire their cannons into the rear of our troops, a risky move that would likely kill many of their own men, but it would devastate ours as well - perhaps they needed to take this risk to win the battle, perhaps Sultana Helena didn't care about protecting her own soldiers, perhaps she had nothing to do with this call - in any case, I couldn't allow this tactic to work out. Helena no doubt intended for me to answer her cavalry with cavalry once again, but I had a different plan, a different plan that required very specific timing. My cannons fired the first valley, crushing the Ottoman horsemen on both flanks, though the chaos, both flanks of my cavalry charged into the center - as soon as they were out of the way, my cannons fired a second volley - and then curved back out, attacking the Ottoman artillery that wanted to shoot our soldiers in the back. Essentially, what I had accomplished was I used my cannons to not only thin the Turkish cavalry but also to distract them, allowing my cavalry to essentially pass them as if they weren't there before curving in behind them and attacking the true target, their cavalry. The Ottoman and Kazakh horsemen then immediately retreated back to the flanks, knowing that the results would be absolutely barbaric if my Cossacks finished off The Ottoman cannons and then found themselves able to attack their cavalry from behind.

Much of The Ottoman cavalry and most of their artillery was utterly wiped out in this battle and our superior advancements managed to erase their superior numbers, thus, with every passing moment, our advantage in this battle was growing greater and greater. This battle was going to turn into a slaughter but Sultana Helena gave the order to retreat. My forces regrouped before giving pursuit - we had completed the first part of my plan and defeated The Ottoman army, now, it was time to trigger step two and spring the trap - and, as I looked out onto the great expanse of the Black Sea, there wasn't an Ottoman vessel in sight. We were going to drive them into the mountains after all. The battle did not turn into a slaughter, but, in the Caucasus Mountains, the elements would slaughter the Turkish army. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Georgia, The Kingdom of Portugal, The Principality of Transylvania, we had so many deadly allies, but it seems that, despite all that preparation, the deadliest ally after all would be nature.

The Ottoman army was practically fleeing as it marched impossibly quickly away from us, but we pursued with the same impossible quickness and the Turks were finally halted by King Constantine IV and his reformed Georgian Army. The Georgian forces were not too numerous, however, they were in the way and if The Ottomans were to fight the Georgians, they would have to fight on both sides since we were right behind them. The situation worked out exactly like I had intended, the Turks had four options, none of which were appealing - forward or backward they would have to fight a battle against a force which already beat them plus an additional army, to the north, were the mountains where they're freeze to death, and to the south, there was a sea with no Ottoman vessels in site - unless the Turks wanted to see how swimming in winter coats and armor went, that wasn't an option. So, fighting or freezing to death, the Turks had two options and, as the wind carried the barely audible sound of a female voice giving an order, the Turks headed up to the mountains. Us Georgians and Russians waited orderly for each and every one of them to make their way to certain death, attacking them now would merely be murder. A second battle had been avoided and Sultana Helena and her army would be ravaged in the mountains, The Battle of Tskhumi and the aftermath had been an astounding victory for The Tsardom of Russia in the early stages of The Russo-Ottoman War. Victorious, but there was still plenty of work to do, hence, I went to meet with my uncle King Constantine IV in the middle of where the Turkish army just was. The actual Turkish army was out of the way, but we still had to regain Tiflis and Rustavi before going on the offensive.

"You forced Helena to march her own army to their death...impressive." King Constantine IV admitted as he gave both me and Yelizaveta a hug, he was surprised to see her here and grateful that we were both alright. Similarly, I was very grateful that between two major sieges and a battle, the Turks hadn't managed to kill or capture him - I was not willing to lose my uncle and my Georgian ally over some land on the southern fringe of Russia. The Caucasian territory I wanted from The Ottomans rested on eventually bringing Georgia into the Tsardom - otherwise the whole territory is connected to Russia only by a thin strip along the Caspian Sea, meaning that to reach this territory, I'd have to head from Moscow to Astrakhan on the Caspian and then down to Baku. With Georgia, the Black Sea makes the Caucasian territory accessible, especially since we shall gain Crimea as well. The River Don empties into the Black Sea in the Turkish city of Azov, lying just downstream from Rostov-on-Don, a relatively important town southwest of Tsaritsyn. Crimea, Georgia, and the rest of Caucasia will be bring plenty of new wealth and new peoples to southern Russia, this will only support my plans to settle the steppes of southern Russia as forts, trade ports, towns, and even full blown cities will emerge to support places like Theodoro, Azov, Tiflis, Baku, and Yerevan that will be gained in this war. The Ottomans are fighting over a steppe that happens to include two cities and a place they barely just conquered from the Persians, we're fighting for the economic future of Russia beyond just the European heartland of our great civilization. I intend for Moscow to become the jewel in my crown, but I want many other cities throughout the Empire to act as the gems. All of these cities will be incredibly valuable, all will be important, but the jewel - Moscow - will reign supreme and, within it, my White Square will reign supreme over the rest of Moscow.

"Thank you Uncle." I nodded shortly before getting straight to business "We're going to reclaim Tiflis and Rustavi before marching on Yerevan - what do you know about the Turks occupying your cities?"

"There are none, the Turks left the cities devastated and left. Treacherous nobles took advantage of the situation and have occupied the ruined fortress towns. We can reclaim both of the cities within a day of reaching them, as for Yerevan, that will be a different challenge entirely. Sultana Helena has been using Yerevan as her forward base, the city is heavily fortified and, when the remnants of The Ottoman army leave the mountains, I'd wager that they are going to retreat straight for Yerevan. The siege will be brutal and it will be difficult, but if we manage everything perfectly, we can capture Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier here and now, something that will surely end the war and plunge Konstantiniyye into chaos."

"General Feodorov and the Army of the Caucasus should be arriving for The Siege of Baku soon, we could potentially write them to join us at Yerevan should they take Baku before we manage to take the Armenian city." Yelizaveta chipped in, proving that she had been listening back during the war meeting despite her relatively late arrival alongside Terezia. I think I did a great job teaching Krystyna and I think my lessons, combined with her own intelligence and abilities, will result in massive changes in the eastern European landscape - she can reshape a continent and spread Russian influence farther than I ever thought imaginable, pressing each and every claim she has successfully - but, if Krystyna is going to be a masterpiece, Yelizaveta is going to be my magnum opus. Krystyna's realm will be great and she will be great, however, her realm must be manageable by Russia - The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Bohemia, Hungary, Naples, and anything else Krystyna conquers is meant to be an accessory of Russian power, not a threat to it. The Tsardom of Russia is going to be a worldly superpower, Krystyna's realm is going to be a regional phenomenon, Krystyna is meant to spread Russian influence, Yelizaveta is meant to create it. Liz will reign from a grand throne within The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace at the head of White Square in the heart of a new Moscow, a Moscow that will go from fringe city to the envy of the world, forged from backwater to a testament to the great new baroque architectural style, sculpted by great Italian artists. Moscow will be impressive, my settlement of southern Russia will be impressive, my expansion into Siberia will be impressive, my collection of eastern European puppets will be impressive, but all of that will pale in comparison to Yelizaveta, my heiress, my sister, and, as much as I hate to say it, the woman who I fell in love with.

I knew that it was wrong, I knew that it was deviant, and I knew that we could never actually do it, but despite all that, the feelings remained - the feelings survived time, they survived Krystyna, they survived Terezia - I don't know if I will ever be able to kill these feelings. I don't even know if I want to kill these feelings - I want to love Yelizaveta, I just don't want to love my sister - the unfortunate reality is that Liz and my sister are one in the same, meaning that we will never be able to be in love. The horrible part of me is that I don't think that I really would change the fact that Yelizaveta is my sister though, that's because the things I love most about her are the things that make her my sister - she's my spitting image, the same blue eyes, blonde hair, and pale skin, she understands me perfectly in the way that only someone who spent their whole life around me would, and, as my heiress, she is the only person of royal blood who will never become my rival. I may be a lesbian and thus I obviously can't get married in The Russian Orthodox Church, however, I am an absolutist monarch and I claim the Divine Right to Rule, thus, it is only natural that I have a lover of equal status - Krystyna is admittedly a mere noblewoman, however, she is descended from both the last King of Bohemia from before Habsburg rule and from one of Prince Matyas' predecessors in Transylvania, additionally, she is a strong contender for the Polish crown, especially now that I have groomed her, therefore, it is her claims and her royal blood that separates her from mere regular noblewomen. The future Tsarina of Russia would be an even greater prize, a Roman Empress, however, I cannot be incestuous, I cannot be in a relationship with my little sister, I cannot cross that forbidden line. Not only was there a moral stigma but there was a practical one too; if Yelizaveta and I were ever caught together, that would be the downfall of both of us, tearing my great plans for The Tsardom of Russia apart. Therefore, not only is a relationship with Yelizaveta unacceptable, it is also extremely dangerous.

All logic dictated against a relationship with Yelizaveta, all my morals dictated against it, my lingering feelings for Krystyna dictated against it, however, as she grabbed my hand and squeezed it for confidence, all those objections faded away. She was the perfect person for me, the perfect consort, and the perfect heiress, she was utterly irresistible, and, absolute monarch or not, I was not strong enough to resist this for much longer. My resolve is failing and failing fast, especially since I realized that I would never be able to salvage a relationship with Krystyna - sure we could make love on occasional meetings, sure we could write letters, sure we could create excuses to see each other, but we both know that it will never be enough for the two of us. I need something better than a long-distance relationship between two very busy monarchs and Krystyna deserves something far better than the only partial love I can offer her. Krystyna deserves something that can wholly and utterly love her, not someone who is indecisive and attracted to her own sister. I took a shaky breath and shook away these thoughts of love and romance, trading them for thoughts of war and conquest - I needed to make a decision on what the Georgians and I will do next in this war.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army joined by the Georgians crushed the rebellious nobles in the ruins of Tiflis and Rustavi, reclaiming the Georgian capital and border fortress, respectively. Palisades were placed in the collapsed sections of wall and Georgian garrisons were left in both cities before we marched south to Yerevan. We had to be brutal against the nobles - the Georgian nobility had to learn to fear and respect King Constantine IV so that, one day, they would grow accustomed to loving him, meanwhile, they also have to be taught to understand that, ultimately, the power lies with Russia - The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was under Russian protection and in many ways was a glorified vassal state, meanwhile, The Kingdom of Georgia barely even gets the glorified modifier, it is, for all intents and purposes, an autonomous extension of Russia, one that shall be brought in closer as I pursue my quest of absolutism.

Order was restored in Georgia and, on every front, our offensives began. The Army of the Caucasus under General Feodorov marched from Astrakhan to Baku, the Army of the Ukraine under General Perevernykruchenko has unleashed the Ruthenian Cossack host upon the steppes surrounding Crimea, and in Moldavia, the Romanian Prince and his Turkish masters were facing a full scale invasion courtesy of the grand Armia z Besarabia, led by Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, a beautiful and intelligent woman who would go far - I ensured that, after all, I supplied the length of her leash, making sure that it was impressive...but not too impressive. The war had gotten off to a sub-optimal start but we had turned that around, now, Yerevan was within reach. Smashing the Turkish fortress would open up the entire Caucasus region, deprive Sultana Helena of her base of command, and provide me with my own forward base. The Siege of Yerevan was always going to be an important event, however, when reports reached General Mikhailovich, Yelizaveta, and I that the remnants of Sultana Helene'a army was within the walls, the siege become all that more important - King Constantine IV was right, if we capture Sultana Helena, we can with the war before it truly begins. The volleys of the Russian cannons grew more ferocious, the trenches my men dug around the walls of Yerevan grew deeper and more complex, and the all too familiar noises of a population suffering under the weight of a Siege began filling the skies. Yerevan was going to fall to my combined Russian and Georgian force sooner rather than later, the only question is whether or not we can actually capture Sultana Helena too - I am certain her men will fight to the last man to defend her.

I smirked as one crystal clear thought rung through my head - bring it on!

* * *

Alright this has been Romans chapter twenty-two and we're up to The Siege of Yerevan in the Russian plot now. Next chapter The Ottoman plot will catch up and advance the story - similar to how this one did with The Battle of Tskhumi. I know this order can be confusing but I feel like with two protagonists on either side, it only makes sense to see both sides and each side's reaction and interpretation of each event. I won't be doing this every chapter as the war is going to be fought on multiple fronts and our protagonists will not remain static on a single front for the whole war, both of them have plenty of places to get to and, very rarely, will those two places be the same. Essentially, future chapters may be completely unrelated events other than two sides of the same battle, we will see more of that as well but I do think the two sides of one battle thing would get repetitive after awhile, so I won't use it too much.

I love you all, peace out!


	23. The Siege of Erivan

Hello everyone! I don't actually have much to say this week so let's jump right in - Romans chapter 23, picking up with Helena after The Battle of Tskhumi.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXIII.

The Siege of Erivan.

* * *

We had been devastated.

We were defeated in every way possible - our cavalry had been pushed back, our infantry had been outmatched, and our entire force had been outflanked and forced into the mountains. Our options were limited to say the least. Part of my wanted to cross these mountains onto the Russian side and attack them, but we didn't have the numbers left for it. That also ruled out an offensive into Georgia, in fact, considering that the Russians and Georgians had good terrain on their journey to Tiflis, they would beat us there and they'd probably beat us to Rustavi too. In retrospect, fortifying those cities would have bought us time now, but I'm not sure that fortifying them would slow down the Russian army now as much as it would have slowed us down then. Our best option, it seemed, was to retreat all the way to Erivan, however, doing so meant that we had to cross over half of the horizontal expanse of the Caucasus Mountains in order to reach Turkish land on the other side, land where we could find a road that ultimately leads to the city I used as my staging ground. The march would be long, difficult, and cost many, many lives, unfortunately, we didn't exactly have a better option. Tsarina Anastasia had managed to beat me as well.

"I fear this front may be lost already, perhaps it would be better to march all the way to Baku and fight the least reinforced Russian army - after all, they have the Georgians here, the Poles in Moldavia, and the Cossacks in Crimea, but no one beyond these mountains." Fatimah proposed. We could leave the mountains in the same spot and follow the roads to Baku rather than Erivan, once there, we reinforce the garrison, take command, and repel the Russians. That was certainly an option, but I didn't know if it was the right option, we lost a major battle on this front and I fear that it cannot be undone by a minor victory on another front, rather, I think that we should halt the Russian offensive. I am not opposed to stopping the Russian advance towards Baku but I feel like halting Tsarina Anastasia herself is the key to turning this war around, plus the combined effect of halting her and pushing back the Russians along the Caspian would undo the embarrassment of Tskhumi, however, managing to do both was stretching the very reduced abilities of my defeated army. The fact that my army lies in ruin and we haven't yet suffered the attrition of retreating through snow-covered mountains is not making me confident in my ambitions.

"Perhaps, but I do not like the idea of letting Anastasia run wild across our land. I think we should stop her at Erivan." I voiced my opinion to my Grand Vizier as we marched with the army up the mountains as a show of support - well, we also got off to make it easier for our carriage to make it way up the slopes, however, I did want to show my support for the soldiers and I hoped that Fatimah and I marching with them, even for just a couple hours at a time, would inspire some sort of morale in them. After all, if pampered royals were marching, surely the professional soldiers of the most powerful Empire in the world should be able to march that much and far, far more. Fatimah and I were taking the opportunity to discuss how to proceed, after all, the sooner we know what we were doing, the sooner we could present a united front and rally the troops to our cause.

"I'm not sure if we will be enough to halt Anastasia between the losses we've sustained and...well...those that are yet to come." We both know well that the losses in these mountains would be immense and I feared that the chances that Fatimah or I, despite layers upon layers of coats and harm clothes, could suffer as well, however, neither of us wanted to really face the realities of that. We preferred to keep ourselves numb by only referring to our reduced numbers, not the death and suffering that resulted in those reduced numbers.

"You may be right," I admitted, with those losses, there was a high chance that our role in The Siege of Erivan would be minimal, there is only so much that extra defenders could accomplish, sure we could stall Anastasia, but I don't think that a little bit of stalling will change the fate of Erivan. The city will either stand or fall depending on the Russians' ability to take the city. Nevertheless, I also recognized that our hands would tie and that abandoning Erivan to the Russians would only hurt our cause rather than helping it "But, at this point, what other choice do we have? We can't let Anastasia take Erivan and then expect that we can still fight this war the way we initially thought. If we fail at Erivan, we have some major planning to do."

"I am confident in our abilities against the Russian armies now that we know what we're up against, we must simply understand that, when fighting a power as major as Russia, we're not going to win every battle on every front so easily. Perhaps we let Erivan fall, defeat Russia anywhere and everywhere we can, then gather our armies together to defeat Anastasia and recapture whatever she manages to take." Fatimah proposed, again, I did trust her strategy and I thought that, if anyone could pull it off, it was her, however, I did not like the idea of losing Erivan. Reconquering the city will be difficult, especially since Anastasia seems to be leaving garrisons and rebuilding fortifications in her reoccupied cities. Losing Erivan seems like it would shatter Ottoman morale, so, if Russia is going to try and take Erivan, we must do anything we can to preserve our reign over the city.

"I fear letting Erivan fall will give the Russians too much momentum, as well as depriving us of the city we're using as our staging ground." I argued in turn, Erivan was our central staging ground for this front of the war and losing it would change our entire dynamic in the region. We would likely have to retreat to the coastal fortress city of Trabzon, an old Byzantine holdout state. In Trabzon, we would pretty much be dependent on that Black Sea supply chain Fatimah envisioned - I had faith in that plan, but in Erivan, we could at least dependent on local production as well as supplies, in Trabzon, we didn't have that. I loved Fatimah and I had faith in her plan, but I've seen enough between the war in Arabia and the beginning of this war to question if being dependent on one plan was enough. After all, the Portuguese were dependent on their ships safeguarding Bahrain, so we stopped them by sending our navy all the way around Africa. In this war, we were dependent on surprising Russia and defeating Georgia before Tsarina Anastasia and her forces could arrive, but our plan failed thanks to two elements - King Constantine IV delaying my army and then Anastasia arriving before we finished off the Georgians.

Depending on one plan and one plan allow is what got us into this situation to begin with, we needed to have plans and backup plans and contingencies. Our army should reinforce the garrison of Erivan to ensure the survival of the Armenian fortress town. We could use the food supplies within the city as our main plan, the supply line from the Black Sea to Trabzon as a backup, and, if that fails, retreat to Trabzon itself and be supplied by the Black Sea supply line directly. I understood where Fatimah was coming from, we did need a victory right now, but we needed the right victory - defeating a minor Russian army in Baku while letting Anastasia take Erivan was an overall defeat, but halting Anastasia and potentially turning the tide of this war...that was the right victory.

I sighed, this was incredibly complicated, Tsarina Anastasia created a war on many, many fronts - Moldavia, Crimea, the Caucasus, and the Caspian coast - we had only truly been prepared to fight in Crimea and the Caucasus, sure we had a defensive army in the Balkans - leaving our core territory undefended was always a bad idea - and our vassals in Moldavia and Wallachia had their own armies, but I doubted that the armies of two Romanian Principalities merged with our Balkan Ordusu would be able to combat the forces in Moldavia. Initial reports indicate that a combined force from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Principality of Transylvania, a Portuguese expeditionary force - I cursed at that Teresa Hungara, signing a ceasefire rather than a truce, she no doubt intended to use this Russian war to regain Portuguese holdings along the coast - as well as foreign mercenaries. The army in Moldavia was formidable and we would struggle against them, just as we had struggled against Anastasia herself in Tskhumi, our Kirim Ordusu would most likely lose the steppe to Russia before being able to somewhat more effectively resist them on the peninsula itself, finally, we were unprepared for a fight along the Caspian coast. All in all, it wasn't just the Anadolu Ordusu that was outmaneuvered, The Tsardom of Russia outmaneuvered the entire Ottoman Empire.

* * *

We set camp for the night, Fatimah and I gathered with our commanders around a fire. There wasn't much to discuss, we all knew that we failed in Tskhumi and by now we had agreed in majority to retreat to Erivan and fortify the city. We valued the warmth instead, the air up here was far, far colder than the air along the Black Sea and our army was struggling through the snow. We had not made it as far as we had wanted today and the mountain range seemed endless. We had hoped to avoid this by waging war in the spring, but it seems that we attacked too early - it is clear that Tsarina Anastasia had intended to attack later in the spring, after all, her army was still all the way in Tsaritsyn when we struck. I was glad to get the element of surprise, but, in retrospect, if we had used some more of the time we apparently had, we wouldn't be stuck in so much snow and cold. Of course, we couldn't have known where Tsarina Anastasia was and, even now, we're only assuming that she's currently heading to Tiflis to reclaim the city, but, we did know that the start of this war has been far from ideal for The Ottoman Empire.

"How are you holding up?" Fatimah asked, worried about me. She scooted closer to me and wrapped an arm around me - the cold and snow meant that we could disguise intimacy as the pursuit of warmth. I do admit that cuddling towards her did make me feel better, she was an Arab and I was a Greek, neither of us were accustomed to the cold - Theodoro was the warmest part of Crimea while the coast of North Africa was far warmer than ever Crimea. I remember not too long ago when Fatimah and I were at General Abdul's estate in Tunis, that warmth under the mediterranean sun was a far cry from the cold of these remote Caucasus mountains, but at least I had Fatimah with me, together, we could face the horrors of warfare and attrition.

"Better with you," I said as we stood up and retreated to our tent, both of us were well aware that tomorrow would be another day of long and brutal marching and we would again do our part, we would show the soldiers that we weren't making them do anything that we weren't doing by marching as much as we can. War really was horrible, the war in Arabia had introduced me to the horrors of bloodshed and this war was introducing me to the slow agony of attrition. Cold, disease, and starvation was going to ravage our army through these mountains as the Russians and Georgians cut us off from our supply lines on the Black Sea. We would have plenty of warmth, medicine, and food in Erivan, but how many of us would actually live for long enough to get there? Our losses were going to be immense and that came after sustaining heavy losses in Tskhumi. We had to follow this plan at this point because we took too many losses that we would only be defeated once again if we tried to challenge the Russian advance at Baku, in fact, challenging them might even lead to Fatimah and I getting captured. Halting Anastasia at Erivan by making a siege untenable is our one and only option with what remains of the Anadolu Ordusu.

* * *

"Sultana!" A soldier shouted as Fatimah and I fell over in the snow. that soldier and his squadron - or what was left of it helped the two of us up. They guided us back to the wagon and insisted that we ride, rather than walk. The horses were suffering, the men were suffering, we were suffering. The further we got from the warm, regulating waters of the Black Sea, the colder and more miserable the trip became. We were now trudging through a foot of heavy snow while still heading up the slopes of mountains. This was absolutely exhausting for the soldiers in their armor and coats, lugging around pikes or guns, not to mention the horses that were carrying carriages and supply wagons - at least the wagons were getting lighter as our journey went on, however, the problem is that the supplies seemed to be dwindling faster than we expected. If we are delayed in this mountains, we may be forced to start eating our own horses.

Of course, slaughtering our own horses would make moving the wagons more difficult, however, considering that we won't be doing that until our supply wagons our depleted, the obvious answer seems to be to take the horses pulling our supply wagons and slaughter them if it comes to them, though obviously I hope that it doesn't come to that. I don't want to kill horses, I don't want to leave behind supply wagons, even if they're depleted, and I certainly didn't want to watch my own soldiers starve and die. My distaste for war developed because I watched innocent men - farmers, artisans, and traders - drafted into war and forced to kill their fellow man for reasons foreign to them over land far, far away from their homes. Watching these men, some of the same men in fact, having to starve to death was even worse. Death in war was at least supposed to be a death of glory and honor, starving to death was not. It was a slow and terrible death. Tsarina Anastasia forced my army into suffering, perhaps she intends to break us and force a surrender, perhaps she just wants attrition to go ahead and remove the Anadolu Ordusu as a threat, perhaps she simply wants to see her enemies suffer. Regardless of her reasons and regardless of the miserable conditions, I was determined to not give the ruler of Russia what she wants. It is possible that we lost this war already, but I certainly won't make it easy on her.

The army continued to advance despite the terrible conditions, however, we were passing the base of a tall mountain covered in snow and, between the commotion of our still rather large army and the panicking of our increasingly agitated forces - both horses and men alike were growing uncomfortable given the attrition that is sure to come soon. The noise of all that managed to disturb the snow that was precariously gathered on a slope on of the many Caucasian mountains surrounding us. The avalanche came quickly and brutally. Four pike squares of men and a carriage belonging to one of our commanders were swept away. This also had the arguably worse effect of splitting our army in two. Our advance was halted for hours as the half of the army caught behind the avalanche had to scale a pile of snow and corpses. Delays like this, deaths like this, and the frostbite that is sure to strike to soldiers who had to claw their way over the snowy pile, this is truly going to be a war of attrition and we shall suffer great attrition here in these mountains. The avalanche may be the most violent episode, but it is by no means the most deadly. In the next few days soldiers will freeze and die, littering our war camps with death and rot, death and rot which will become the ideal breeding ground for disease, disease which will cause more death and more rot in a vicious and seemingly endless cycle of slow and miserable death.

The worst part is that there is no way to stop this vicious cycle of death - I wanted to get out of the mountains now even though we would only just emerge in Georgia, where King Constantine IV and his army would come and attack us. Of course, we would be in no shape to fight and the Anadolu Ordusu would once again be devastated by our enemies. I couldn't do that, we had to emerge on Ottoman soil and, even when we did, we had to hope that the Russians or the Georgians wouldn't decide to attack to the east and cut us off. I had to assume that they would reclaim their cities and move on Erivan, I had to hope that we would be able to get out of these mountains and join with our forces and our supply lines in the Armenian fortress, because, if we can't, then their truly is no hope for us. I will surrender and give up Crimea and Caucasia if the choice is between that and risking Fatimah and I dying in the mountains. I know that Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists would never accept that, but losing Fatimah is a far worse fate than having Spartak Pasha and his allies rise up.

* * *

"How much farther do you think we have to go?" Fatimah asked as we buried ourselves in our tent for the tight, wrapped in coats, blankets, and each other - anything and everything that could give us warmth.

"I wish I knew." I replied, I didn't have an answer. Maybe if there was less snow we could use some landmarks to place ourselves, but between the snow covered mountains and the clouds over head, we couldn't tell. It was spring but it certainly didn't feel like it up here, if I didn't know when it was, I would have guessed this was the middle of winter and our attrition agrees with that. Losses peaked after the avalanche, though fortunately, so did the mountains as our path seems to be more level now, though even then, with the whiteness blinding everything, there's no telling how long the path will stay level. It is entirely possible, as dreadful as it is to admit, that we'll still have to deal with slopes going retrospect, it is easy to say we should have had some of our ships disconnected from the fleet ready to transport us from the coast if anything went wrong, but, that's the thing with war - it is impossible to predict how they will go. We were expecting to shatter the Georgians and instead, King Constantine IV escaped. We were expecting to catch the Russians by surprise before they reached Georgia, but, despite being all the way in Tsaritsyn, the Russians managed to get all the way to Tskhumi faster than we thought possible. There are a thousand different ways that the start of this war could have gone, but none of those really matter anymore, what matters is the mess we have found ourselves in now.

"We'll be okay Helena...we have to be making progress." Fatimah assured me but we were both well aware that we didn't actually know how much farther we had to go. Nevertheless, hearing Fatimah say that made me feel more comfortable, after all, she has already made my life so much better, she has already made ruling The Ottoman Empire far easier, if she could do all that, surely she could ensure that the both of us survive this...somehow. I admit that, at least in this case, the faith I put in her was irrational but people tend to not make rational decisions when faced with the possibility of death. We have already lost much of our army and we both knew neither of us were accustomed to these conditions - we could barely even march today and had to be ushered to our carriage - but we haven't died yet, we don't even seem to be sick yet. The fact that the blankets, coats, and especially Fatimah's body heat were pressed against my body at every possible opportunity is certainly what is keeping the two of us alive and well, without each other...I don't think that we could last nearly as long in the bitter conditions of the Caucasus Mountains in the spring. Fatimah and I fell asleep in each other's arms, love and warmth protecting us from the biting cold and death lying just outside our tent.

* * *

Conditions finally started to improve as we started to make our way down the mountains, emerging back within The Ottoman Empire. The snow began melting, the biting cold lessened, and our journey became much, much easier. Not a moment too soon, given that we were on the last of our supplies. Conditions had not gotten as desperate as we had feared - we did not end up having to eat our own horses or anything like that, but we had suffered massive losses nonetheless. The Battle of Tskhumi was a devastating loss for us and the attrition in the Caucasus Mountains had only compounded that loss. We had traveled so far through terrible conditions, we faced death, and we even had to survive an avalanche, but after all that, our march wasn't over yet. Now we had to march through the Caucasian countryside, through the lands of Azeris and Armenians all the way to Erivan. We would take shelter in the fortified city and join with the garrison, with any luck, our resistance shall be strong enough that the siege becomes untenable for the Russians.

We still had a far way to go, but progress came far faster once we were out of the mountains and in their shadow, we made our way through the still hilly terrain in a fraction of the time that it took us to get through the mountains and thus, we were able to beat the Russians to Erivan. The soldiers were relieved, not only did we no longer have to march, but we were reconnected with our supply lines and we drafted in reinforcements from Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Anadolu Ordusu was not back to its full strength, not even close, but we were stronger than we had been, and that is crucial. Any reinforcements and any supplies were an absolute godsend as we took control of the defense of Erivan.

"How are our forces looking?" I asked Fatimah, once we had arrived in Erivan we spent a few hours resting, after that, I had tasked with her taking notes of our forces, seeing what remained of our original troops, how are reinforcements were looking, and how many men were in the garrison that now serves as a wing of the Anadolu Ordusu. We knew by now that the Russians were coming, we had received news that both Tiflis and Rustavi are back in Georgian hands with the combined forces of King Constantine IV and Tsarina Anastasia heading our way, seeking to take Erivan. They knew that, by eliminating my staging ground and the most important fortress in this area, our ability to wage war in Armenia and against The Kingdom of Georgia would be diminished.

"We have about twelve thousand men for the defense of the city, between the artillery we managed to get through the mountains and the cannons here on the bastions, we have thirty-seven cannons that can be moved, another twenty-three more powerful but immobile guns, and four mortars." Fatimah explained, we lost many cannons up in the snow, they were difficult enough to move in good conditions, let alone in terrible mountain terrain. Thirty-seven mobile cannons was good considering that, though admittedly, many of those guns were in Erivan before hand anyway. The immobile guns and mortars would be crucial in defending the city, but once the city fell, they were absolutely useless to us. The massive defensive cannons and mortars in Erivan are impossible to move and are really only used in Sieges. Now, mortars could also be used to take cities, but siege mortars were often scrapped and abandoned once the city fell. We have yet to create a mortar that is large enough to be effective but small enough to be easily transported - fortunately, that worked in our favor against the Russians. Perhaps with this heavy defense arsenal, twelve thousand Ottoman soldiers can survive the almost fifty thousand strong combined Russian-Georgian force.

* * *

Horns signaled the start of The Siege of Erivan. Fatimah and I took a position on top of one of the bastions. Our fears proved correct, there were indeed about fifty thousand enemy troops around us, armed with over a hundred cannons, and, on top of that, they were already constructing siege engines. The Russians unleashed their first bombardment. All around us the bastion was engulfed in orange-red fire, the walls shook as Erivan was battered from virtually all sides by the Russian cannons. The walls would withstand this and much more, but we didn't feel safe up here. Fatimah and I retreated from the walls as our cannons and mortars responded. White hot missiles filled the skies as the four massive mortars fired at the Russian ranks. Even from below the walls, I could tell that the fire show was impressive, but as another Russian barrage followed a moment later, I questioned how effective our mortars actually were.

It seems that, somehow, the Russians were aware of our mortars because they were positioned in two groups: an inner group too close for our mortars to hit them without risking damaging our own defenses and an outer group just out of range of our mortars. This was not ideal, but we still had the psychological effect of our mortars, an effect which would surely at least have an effect on the Russians and Georgians besieging this city. Our cannons were more effective, but we were decisively outnumbered in that respect. The mortars had scorched the earth between the Russian ranks, but their losses from that had been negligible at best. They had managed to outmaneuver the key to our defense of Erivan.

Another problem with the mortars is that their massive size and massive destructive ability was hampered by the fact that it took ages to load them in order to be able to fire again. The mortars were built by the Persians during their rule over the Caucasus, a rule which my husband had ended. Perhaps a Persian agent was with Tsarina Anastasia - that could compromise our ability to wage war in the region - the roads, fortifications, and defenses all came about under Persian rule - we haven't ruled the region for long enough to change that. I sighed, it made too much sense, the Persians are bound from declaring war on us by a treaty, but nothing is stopping them from influencing the course of other wars. Sure the Russians will take Caucasia all for themselves, but the Qara Qoyunlu rulers of Persia could see a massive defeat on our Empire as an opportunity for them to regain their ancestral lands in Iraq and Al-Jazira. As the Russian cannons shook Erivan to its core once more, I knew that, if we lost this war, the same kind of brutal sieges would erupt at every corner of The Ottoman Empire. We had to do everything we could to defend against Tsarina Anastasia, because a victory, particularly an easy one, can lead to pain and suffering for all of my subjects. The walls would shake, the people would starve, and disease would threaten to consume us, but we cannot let Erivan fall. This is more than a Siege over the Caucasian front of The Russo-Ottoman War, this is a struggle over the future of The Ottoman Empire. Will the eastern power remain with Konstantiniyye or shall it shift to Moscow? I will do anything and everything to ensure that the Turks remain the dominant power in eastern Europe, I will fight as long as my Empire as a whole is able to sustain it.

"Is there any way that we can hit the Russian rear positions with our mortars?" I asked Fatimah, the young Arab thought about if for a moment before turning to one of the mortars itself. Both of us saw it, theoretically, we could angle the mortar down to travel farther but lower, however, if we angled the mortars down any more, the bottom of the chamber is against the edge of our walls. We cannot hit a position any further without blowing our own walls to pieces and endangering our men - something that would only help the Russian and Georgian besiegers that outclass us in every way. We rushed around the city, finding a similar situation at all three mortars - in fact, the Russian positions varied ever so slightly in accordance to the position of each mortar. They knew exactly where each mortar was and they knew exactly where the mortars could hit. This only furthered my suspicions that the Persians had managed to get involved. I sighed, first the Transylvanians had broken their pledge of loyalty to us and joined the Russian alliance, but now the Persians were interfering in this war despite the treaty. All of the Kazakh horsemen had either died or scattered by now. We were truly alone in Caucasia and, if Moldavia and Wallachia weren't the ones being invaded by the Polish-led forces in Europe, I bet all three of our Romanian vassals would have forsaken us in Europe.

"Maybe we're thinking about this wrong, instead of focusing on the Russians that are out of our range, let's focus on the ones that are too close for the mortars to hit. I bet that if we can get some sharpshooters on our bastions, we can harass their ranks and make them think twice about their positions so close. Maybe, just maybe, we could drive them back where our heavy cannons or even the mortars could hit them." Fatimah proposed. Firearms weren't very accurate at range, but the fact that the bastion would give us a position above our enemies meant that, perhaps, they could at least hit close enough to the Russian ranks to make the enemy fear that they can be hit. Some us of our mobile cannons also harassing them may just be enough to convince the Russians that their forward position is untenable. At that point, our heavy guns or our mortars could inflict real damage on their forward units. We had no guarantee if this would work, but it was at least an idea, that was a significant improvement over how we've been doing thus far.

* * *

We put the plan into action, sending groups of our best shooters forward to the tips of the triangular bastions positioned around the walls of Erivan. From up there, the sharpshooters could see everything. They could see the Russian men arranged on the outer fortifications, they could see their cannons placed on the tops of free floating outer bastions, they could see the charred, fire hellscape that was produced by our mortars, and, beyond that, the Russian outer positions in the hills. The sharpshooters began firing along with our right guns, the Russian infantry responded with their own firearms fire but guns were poor enough when firing down from above, firing above from below...that was practically impossible with firearms. They were deadly, they were extremely effective in most scenarios, but, in some ways, modern firearms did have some shortcomings that even crossbows could do better than - accuracy, repetition, and range being the key weaknesses, though even then, every generation of firearm improves massively in these capacities. It may not be too long until the pike is reduced to a relic of a bygone age, yet for now, it was still the main weapon of war due to its simplicity and usefulness at close range.

Our sharpshooters, unfortunately, proved less useful in the long term as an unceremonious barrage of cannon fire from the Russian side but an end to our plan before it even began. The perfect triangular tips of our bastions were reduced to rubble and the sharpshooters that survived had to either flee or face the Russian and Georgian forces without the protection of a perfect bastion around them. Our cannons themselves continued to do their job but their low numbers were showing, especially when compared to the truly massive amounts of cannons that the Russians had with them. Erivan was being battered relentlessly by the Russians and there was little that we could do.

The first assaults began in the next few days, bold Russian soldiers attempting to scale the rubble of our bastions. These attacks were unsuccessful, but the Russians had enough men to take losses and we did not. Every Russian soldier that died was replaced by reinforcements the next time that their supplies involved, every one of our twelve thousand soldiers was the last man we had to defend the city. As the siege wore on and on, more and more of the walls were reduced to rubble and our soldiers were unable to resist their greater numbers. The Russians were beginning to capture our cannons on the walls and we were forced to put up palisades on our own bastions and barricades around the steps from the walls into the city. A week after the struggle on the walls began the Russians even managed to isolate some of the bastions. We had men fighting the Russians on both sides as they were assaulted from the walls on one end and from the rubble on the other. The fall of Erivan was inevitable and if Fatimah and I stayed here any longer, we risked capture.

The start of The Russo-Ottoman War was humiliating for the Anadolu Ordusu, defeat after defeat culminating here in The Siege of Erivan. Now the army was going to fall with the city and Fatimah and I would too if we didn't make our escape now.

* * *

We gathered at the southwestern gates of Erivan with five of our cannons, six hundred of our best men, and the fastest carriage with the fastest horses that we could find. The plan was rather simple. The six hundred men and their cannons would sacrifice themselves to punch a hole in the Russian ranks for just long enough for our carriage to slip through and make it to Trabzon. Fatimah and I knew that the Byzantine fortress was surely Tsarina Anastasia's next target, but that didn't matter much, we shall retreat there and then we shall figure out what we're going to do next. We had no better option at this point. The Anadolu Ordusu was done for, the defenses of Erivan were done for, and, if we didn't move now, we were done for.

Fatimah and I got on our carriage, closed the doors, and tearfully embraced each other. Six hundred men were going to die for us, the Russians did not have the time to take prisoners with the possibility of capturing us. The soldiers left in the city were also ordered to fight for the last man, fighting in the streets for every inch against the Russian forces. The Anadolu Ordusu would face a brutal and horrifying end and it was all our fault. I didn't know if things would have gone any better for us if we moved on Baku instead, I think that the army was as good as dead once we were forced into the mountains. It didn't really matter now though, we had to focus on getting out of here so that there will still be a war to win tomorrow. We had to ensure that the sacrifice of the Anadolu Ordusu would not be in vain. Fatimah and I broke off our embrace and we both solemnly faced forward as the southeastern gate was opened.

Tbe mortars fired another volley to disorient the Russians as our drive charged past them as fast and furiously as the carriage could possibly go. The Russians and Georgians recovered quickly and moved to surround our carriage before the six hundred brave men smashed into their ranks, five cannons firing as much as the physically could. The guns, cannons, and mortars filled the area with smoke but our driver stayed true, guiding the carriage exactly where he needed it to go. We passed the inner line of the Russians without incident and the bombed out ruins in between their ranks proved to be an ironic respite before we arrived in the Russian outer line. The outer line was more spread out and varied due to the geography of the hills, but the Russians and Georgians alike still tried all they could to box us in, this time we were without the benefit of the six hundred men. Nevertheless, we managed to get through their infantry and get out of sight before their cannons could be turned around. We had managed to escape The Siege of Erivan.

Those unfortunate enough to be stuck back in the city were not so lucky. Even all the way out here the Russian cannon barrage pierced our ears as the Russians finally pierced the walls. Battle cries filled the skies as Russians and Georgians slipped into the city, wreaking havoc on the Turks, Armenians, Azeris, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, and Arabs fighting for the Anadolu Ordusu. The Russian conquest of Erivan was inevitable, perhaps it always was, but the men inside the city understood their mission - they were to delay the Russians for as long as possible and to do it while inflicting as much damage as their ranks as possible - I did not want to arrive in Trabzon only for the Byzantine fortress on the northeastern fringe of Anatolia to be surrounded by the Russians just like Erivan was. We knew that Trabzon would fall, but neither of us intended to still be in Trabzon when the Russians reached the city and The Siege of Trabzon began. The only question is, what will we do? Shall we flee by land into the heart of Turkish territory and return to Konstantiniyye? Shall we take command of the navy and direct the war over the Black Sea, ensuring that Fatimah's plan can at least partially work? Or shall we merely use the navy to transport us to Crimea where we would take command of the Kirim Ordusu? I had to admit, I was biased towards the latter. Theodoro was my home and I wanted to avenge my losses in the Caucasus.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked Fatimah. I knew that she was well aware of my bias but I opted to ask the question in the most neutral way possible, I did not want her to agree with me now out of love, I wanted her actual opinion as my Grand Vizier.

"I actually think we should go to Crimea, Caucasia and Crimea are the Russian war goals, we've already lost one of those, we had to do whatever we can to keep the other one." Fatimah assured me. I was glad, not just because she agreed with me but because she brought logic to my emotional want. Now I had a justification to defend the city where I was born and raised in. We were going to Theodoro, a place where I haven't been ever since my husband Suleiman III stole me away, I sold away my future in exchange for my family's survival, now, I was returning with the love of my life and in control of The Ottoman Empire. My heart was racing as we arrived in Trabzon, where my Komnenos forebearers reigned before heading to the home of The House of Gothia, my home. i grabbed Fatimah's hand, the battles in Caucasia were over, but the war was not lost yet, the two of us would try and keep our chances alive in Crimea.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been chapter twenty-three of Romans, a series of humiliations for The Ottoman Empire ending on a reminder that the war is not over yet. Next chapter we will follow Tsarina Anastasia and begin during The Siege of Yerevan.


	24. The Persian Interloper

Alright everyone, here we are once again with a Russia chapter of The Legacy of The Romans! Enjoy!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXIV.

The Persian Interloper.

* * *

The city of Yerevan - known as Erivan to the Turks - is the last obstacle in Caucasia now that General Feodorov and the Army of the Caucasus has been unleashed upon Baku. The conquests of Yerevan and Baku will expose the entire eastern end of The Ottoman Empire to our onslaught. The Byzantine fortress at Trabzon, the Persian one at Tabriz, and the great walls protecting Baghdad, once the center of Islamic civilization, will all be vulnerable to us. I do not believe that Sultana Helena will continue to fight if Baghdad falls, after all, she'll have to contend with Russian armies in the north and in the east, a Polish-led allied army in the west, and their eastern border with the Persians completely exposed, however, should she ignore reason and continue fighting, I will not hesitate to bring the Russian armies down on Damascus like a hammer, meanwhile, another army shall strike into Anatolia itself. That would be a strike that shall leave the Turks with no choice but to call for peace - between the army in Anatolia and Krystyna's forces in the Balkans, Constantinople itself would be vulnerable to an attack from two fronts while the Russian line tearing across the great deserts to Damascus isolates Anatolia from the rest of The Ottoman Empire in North Africa, the Levant, and Arabia. I will accept nothing less than Russian victory in this war. From the Ptolemais to the Seleucids to the Sassanians, the Roman Empire has always crushed its enemies in the middle east and my Roman Empire in Moscow shall be no exception - this time with the added benefit of devastating the very country that eliminated the undisputed heir of Rome.

"You look wonderful in that uniform." Yelizaveta told me as I left our tent wearing one of my feminine takes on the Russian military uniform. I wore a green coat tied at the waist over a black top with a purple cravat. My leggings were black with a golden stripe along the side and they were worn under my knee high black leather boots. I wore my long blonde hair in a single braid beneath a black and gold tricorne. I looked over at Liz who had the audacity to compliment me when she wore a similar uniform and looked even better - clearly she was the one who deserved the compliments. Her uniform was the same except she had opted not to wear a hat and did not tie her hair back, nevertheless, she was clearly regal and she was breathtaking. The blue eyes and blonde hair proudly displayed our prestigious descent from Rurik, the great Viking conqueror who created both Novgorod and Kiev - Kiev, the historical capital of the Russian people that was only just reunited with her state and Novgorod, a once great trade city that spawned a state which was a legitimate rival for The Grand Principality of Muscovy for a time. The green, black, and gold of her uniform marked her as the future commander of the Russian armies - I'm sure that she would use our troops well against whoever our enemies may be at that time. Finally, the purple of her cravat marked her as the future Roman Empress. Our link to Rome may be through our religions and marital descent from the Byzantine Empire, but I could see Yelizaveta in ancient Rome, as beautiful as Venus, as smart as Minerva, and as vengeful as Juno. Her fair complexion and her Slavic tongue did not make her any less Roman to me, in fact, she would only stand out more in Rome...she would only be easier to love.

I cannot love her because she is my sister, I cannot lose her as a sister because I want no one else as my heiress, but that doesn't stop me from wanting both. I am the Tsarina of Russia, I have an entire emerging superpower at my back and I've come to make my place on the world stage by finally being the one to decisively win a war against the Turks - I can win almost any war, I can covet any land, I can set in motion the biggest change eastern Europe has seen in centuries courtesy of Lady Krystyna who has returned to Warszawa to pursue her destiny - I can do all that, but I cannot love the greatest woman in my life. I loved Krystyna and I still do in many ways, but circumstances mean that she has The Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth's best interests in mind while I have The Tsardom of Russia's best interests in mind, that meant that we were inevitably on a collision course. A relationship with Krystyna now would be a relationship constantly strained by distance, by lies, and by competing ambitions. Yelizaveta, however, is my heiress - her destiny and my destiny are intertwined, we will never find ourselves on a collision course because we are both concerned with The House Rurikovich, The Tsardom of Russia, and the betterment and expansion of both. A relationship with Yelizaveta could be one of unconditional love, one of total trust, and one we could act on at any moment because we will always be together in the same place...the only problem is blood. Plenty of cousin marriages exist between European dynasties but that is different, love between siblings is unnatural - one only has to look at the increasingly incompetent and frail Pharaohs of ancient Egypt to prove that and, while we won't be reproducing, a homosexual incestuous relationship is only more taboo.

"You look beautiful Liz, I hope that Terezia is happy everyday you two are together...she doesn't know just how lucky she is." I'm largely responsible for Bathory Terezia and Yelizaveta being together, but that doesn't make it any less tragic now that Krystyna is gone and Yelizaveta, perhaps my true love, is completely unattainable for me. Even if the taboo wasn't there, I couldn't be with Liz because she's with Terezia and that's my own fault. I averted my gaze, my blue eyes that seemed so powerful and so ruthlessly efficient for the Tsarina of Russia were filled with nothing but pain and grief right now and I couldn't let myself introduce those same feelings to Yelizaveta. I knew that these feelings were terrible and the last thing I wanted to do was make my little sister feel guilty and end a perfectly happy and healthy relationship just because I had these monstrous, incestuous feelings. I may be an absolute monarch, but I shall not become a tyrant amongst my own family, especially given how little family I have left after my father's death.

"Come on, let's go by the fire and warm ourselves up. We have another big day ahead of us." Yelizaveta seemed to think I was depressed over Krystyna being gone and wanted to comfort me with a mundane moment by the fire before distracting me with today's events - our move on Yerevan itself. I appreciated her help, but being in the warmth near her, seeing the gentle orange glow against her face, and just being in proximity with her only made these feelings worse. I wondered how Liz felt about all this, she did have these feelings at one point, but I didn't know if she still did and I did not dare ask. Asking would only lead to more pain - either Liz would say that she still has these feelings which would only hurt us both because of how impossible these incestuous feelings are to act on or I would find out that her side of the feelings faded away thanks to Terezia and that would leave me well and truly alone. If I learn that Liz no longer shares these feelings then there is no escaping the fact that I am a freak of nature - I can't be the Tsarina of Russia if I am a freak of nature.

Yelizaveta and I sat next to the fire and prepared for the big day ahead of us when a group of scouts on horseback came rushing to the camp. Two of them got off of horseback and approached me while a third went to seek out General Mikhailovich to inform him of whatever news there was to say. I wondered what this could be - a Turkish surprise attack on our camp would be suicidal after all the damage we inflicted upon them at Tskhumi, news from Moscow would come from a messenger rather than the scouts who should be making sure our camp is safe, and if it were something unimportant like a band of foolish raiders, then the scouts wouldn't come here to inform both me and General Mikhailovich immediately - therefore, this had to be something that was either quite interesting or quite alarming when it comes to this very camp. Yelizaveta and I got up to speech with these scouts, allowing them to dispense with royal formalities.

"My Tsarina, a carriage is requesting to enter our camp and speak with you. The passenger, a Persian noblewoman, claims to have been involved in the administration of Yerevan." the scouts reported. Now, this was unexpected to say the least - Persia, presently ruled by the Shi'ite Qara Qoyunlu dynasty of Turkmen turned Iranians has long been a rival of The Ottoman Empire and the two of them have fought many, many wars which pushed the Qara Qoyunlu off of their core lands in Iraq to their new home in Persia, however, I never expected them to help us. Armenia and Azerbaijan are coveted by three great empires - my Russia, the Turks, and the Persian Empire of these Black Sheep Turkmen - so I would have thought that the Persians would rather let us weaken the Turks before striking at them on their own, however, I wouldn't expect the Persians to send a noblewoman either, so perhaps this is not nearly as official as I have pondered. A woman ruling a European realm was rare enough, seeing a woman like Bathory Terezia in service of the Portuguese Crown was even rather, now, Moscow has become somewhat of an exception to this thanks to my parents failure to produce a male heir and my patronage of Lady Krystyna as the next monarch of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but to see a Persian noblewoman in any professional capacity was unheard of in my experience. Only a handful of women have ever ruled Islamic realms as far as I can tell and my understanding is that their noblewomen are far less significant than even the ones in Europe, possibly a result of the common practice of polygamy amongst Islamic nobles.

"She may speak to me." I gave the scouts permission and they proceeded to escort the noblewoman's carriage in before returning to their duties. I took a seat in a chair we had brought with us with a tent behind me acting as a background, Yelizaveta stood to my right as my sister and heiress while two Russian soldiers stood on either side of me as honor guards. This may be a war camp but there is a certain amount of regality that must be displayed when first meeting with foreign dignitaries - this time, royal formalities could not be dispensed with. I proudly wore my militaristic uniform with the tricorne in place of any sort of crown while she, the Persian noble, wore a dark red and gold dress adorned with gold and turquoise jewelry - despite this being a war camp, she was sure to appear regal - she had the benefit of time and foresight, the rest of us were prepared for a war rather than an impromptu diplomatic meeting. Nevertheless, the appearance of identical uniforms across all of us, the discipline, and the organization alone were impressive, not to mention the fact that, with Yelizaveta at my side in a complimentary outfit, I felt like I could make any look work for any situation. My outfit was militaristic in nature, but it was a far cry from the chainmail and plate armor of older times, this was not a courtly look, but I could make it work. My success was solidified when the Persian noblewoman did indeed seem to be impressed by the sight in front of her.

"Anastasia Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, Tsarina of all Russia and Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, Tsarevna and heiress of Russia, welcome you to the war camp of the Russian Imperial Army. Introduce yourself and explain why you have come for an audience with our divinely chosen ruler!" one of the two flanking soldiers announced, introducing me properly but also concisely. This then passed the focus over to the Persian noblewoman, giving me the chance to learn exactly who she was and what her intentions were. If she knew about the defenses of Yerevan, her role could be decisive in the siege, however, I had to understand the price of this information, after all, Yerevan was going to fall either way and if this noblewoman was going to demand something insane like land from The Ottoman Empire, then I would refuse her aid. I would not compromise my war goals over some less than essential albeit helpful information.

"My name is Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani. My father had been the Persian administrator of Armenia before being killed in the war against the Turks. I have intimate knowledge of the fortifications and defenses of Yerevan and I am willing to offer you that knowledge for a fair price." Yasamin proposed. I tried to decipher her name using my somewhat limited knowledge of Persian. The honorific Mirza was applied to many high-ranking nobles across the Persian and Indo-Persian word, most notably being the title worn by many Muslim Indian Princes as the ruling dynasties in India are mainly Persian or Turco-Persian in origin. The final name al-Bahmani could be as simple as tying her family's origin to a variety of Persian villages named Bahman but I suspected more than that. The combination of the honorific Shahi, derived from Shah, the Persian title of King, the title of Mirza, and the name al-Bahmani all suggests that she could be related to the Bahmanid dynasty. The Bahmanid Sultanate was once a major power in southern India before being splintered apart and absorbed into larger empires. The dynasty has not been significant for centuries but many once-great dynasties were reduced to serving the new powers, in this case, the former Persian overlords of the Kannada people have been reduced to serving the Turkmen overlords of Persia. My suspicion, however, is that this Yasamin al-Bahmani wants to use Russia to reestablish her family as a major force.

"And what is this price?" I asked while believing that I already had the answer. I wondered how she intended to go about this goal of reestablishing a seemingly dead dynasty. The realistic thing, as I saw it anyway, was to try and unite the nobles of Persia into overthrowing the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty for this second Bahmanid dynasty, something that would likely be easier said than done given that the Persian military is stacked with Turkmen officers, Turkmen cavalry, and a plurality of Turkmen soldiers overall, however, it seemed more realistic than the other possibility. The possibility in question was to reestablish the Bahmanid dynasty in southern India on the Deccan where it once stood. I suspected that this would once again be a difficult task given that she would be trying to establish a Shia dynasty over a fiercely Hindu people when the last attempt had already failed and now she was going to attempt to do it with the resurgent Timurid dynasty in Delhi under the name of the Mughal Empire reigning in the north, the Vijayanagara Empire in the south just waiting for the chance to wipe out the Bahmanid Sultanate a second time, and the increasingly parasitic presence of European powers along the coasts of India. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the English are all just waiting to start carving up the very same Indian ports that Yasamin would have to use to begin her conquests of southern India.

Her ambitions will be difficult to achieve at best, however, this situation could be turned to Russia's benefit. The Tsardom of Russia is destined to be a powerful state and will soon definitively claim the legacy of Rome, however, we are not a naval power, not yet anyway. We have built a fleet on the Black Sea and we shall soon unleash it upon The Ottoman Empire but there are many big steps between having a navy and having enough of a naval presence to be able to legitimately and consistently influence events in the Indian Ocean - we do not have that capacity and it will be decades, perhaps centuries, before we have any sort of naval presence all the way in the Indian Ocean. There is a theoretical possibility of reaching India by land but there are many obstacles by land as well - not only would we have to fight through many powerful enemies such as The Kazakh Khanate, The Khanate of Bukhara, and The Timurid Emirate of Afghanistan between us and the Empires of India proper, but we would also have to contend with some of the most dangerous and difficult to control land in the world to get there. I do intend to push through Siberia and Central Asia eventually, but by the time the Hordes are pacified, Yelizaveta and I will be long gone and any possibility of Russia reaching India will be out of my hands. All in all, The Tsardom of Russia will never be able to profit from the riches of India, however, by having a strong and trustworthy state in India, we can at very least do our part to ensure that our potential enemies in Europe cannot profit from these riches either.

"It has come to my attention that your court has become somewhat of a home to talented and ambitious women. I want my place there while I plan to carry out my ambitions." She admitted more than she cared to there, she did not want to entirely admit that she wanted to use my court to recreate the Bahmanid Sultanate because she knew that many, many European monarchs would reject that offer, seeing no reason to involve themselves in the affairs of a Persian noblewoman of all people with ambitions on southern India. At the same time, she revealed that she was aware of my court and most likely aware that Krystyna Wlodzislawa joined by court for a few months and emerged from it the commander of Poland's armies in a major war with the implication that she was to become the out-and-out ruler of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth soon. She was right, of course, I did indeed intend to make Krystyna into a major conqueror of eastern Europe, now, this potential conqueror of southern India has requested a place in my court. I put two and two together rather easily. That being said, I saw this as a way to undermine our rivals by denying them a colonial advantage that Russia does not possess, therefore, I was willing to do my part in supporting her ambitions, even if she did intend to keep up the illusion by keeping her ambitions vague. I would ensure that this vagueness ends the moment I start forging Yasamin into a weapon once we return to Moscow, she would know exactly how I want her ambitions to benefit my state and I would help her do everything she needs to do in order to further her ambitions and simultaneously benefit Russia.

"Well, it pleases me that my court has developed such a reputation in places as far away as Persia. You need not worry Yasamin, I shall welcome you to my court and we shall see how your ambitions and my ambitions are very much connected." I smiled warmly at her as I already thought about armies of southern Indian Muslims marching along the great Konkan ports, denying the Europeans of the great trade ports that they so greedily desire. She would get the support she wants, the Russian Imperial Army would get information that will greatly shorten the Siege of Yerevan, and, all the while, I would get to both further my war against The Ottoman Empire and open up the possibility of a future where The Tsardom of Russia holds influence over an Indian state, a state which shall target my enemies where they hurt most - their economies. I turned my warm smile to Yelizaveta, the beautiful little genius has a lot to learn about the ugly and opportunistic world of international politics, but I would guide her all the way through it, with Krystyna in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Yasamin in this new Bahmanid Sultanate serving as vehicles for expanding Russian influence far beyond where our actual borders can take us, she will have great examples for how ambitious people can be excellent fodder for an even more ambitious Tsarina. For all their perceived freedom and prestige, at the end of the day, they are there for the benefit of my state.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army surrounded Yerevan.

The army was split into two group, an inner group compromised of infantry with a few cannons while the larger outer group contained the rest of our forces - including most of our cannons - we did this to outmaneuver Yerevan's defenses. The positioning of inner and outer groups meant that the massive Persian mortars could not directly hit our forces - now even indirect hits could harm our troops and the morale effects of the mortars were unavoidable, however, those indirect effects were nowhere near the true effect of those mortars and thus, we came as close as we possibly could to neutralizing the key to Yerevan's defenses. Meanwhile, our cannons positioned in the hills meant that we could hit the walls at an angle higher than the one they were designed to defend against, meaning that we were hitting the walls just as hard but they weren't defending at their usual capacity. There was, however, a small consequence to this plan - our outer line being positioned across the hill meant that our ranks were somewhat thinned out and that there were a few gaps in our defenses, however, the inner line was much tighter so as long as that held we could ensure that nothing gets in or out of the city, strangling it to death.

"What's going on there?" Yelizaveta pointed out as one of the gates of Yerevan opened - I didn't know what to think, was this a surrender already? Unlikely, despite all the damage we are inflicting upon the city. A rogue operative betraying the Turks? No, the gates are too heavy, too fortified, and too guarded for a single person or even a group of traitors to manage to open them without being stopped by the other defenders. An attempt to strike back? It would be suicidal. Suicidal or not, that is indeed what seemed to happen. A group of Turks charged our front line with the sole purpose of trying to break through our line - our troops were caught off guard but professionalism and greater numbers quickly corrected that mistake and the Turkish assault was overpowered almost as soon as it began. One thing did slip past, however, a single carriage.

"I have to believe that is Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier." I told Yelizaveta, the soldiers sacrificed themselves to let the two escape. General Mikhailovich, in command of the inner group, quickly did exactly what I wanted him to do - took advantage of the still open gates to charge the city. I watched as a group of cannons were wheeled in front of my troops and used to blast the defenses inside the gates to pieces. The smoke had hardly disappeared when Russian and Georgian forces began slaughtering The Ottomans in charge of defending the city. I, in command of the outer line, had two options - break our lines to try and capture Sultana Helena, something which would likely only lead to the Turkish elite in Constantinople replacing her with someone else as regent for the child of Suleiman III who is the actual Sultan, alternatively, we could let her escape which would mean that someone familiar to my court - Terezia had meant with Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier personally - in charge of The Ottoman Empire, someone who I knew that I could beat while, simultaneously, someone more than capable of keeping the Austrians or the Persians from taking land I want from the Turks. My goal in this war was to take Caucasia and Crimea for The Tsardom of Russia while letting Krystyna add Moldavia to her soon-to-be expansive powerbase to my west, I did not want to destroy The Ottoman Empire, in fact, I wanted them to remain strong and I was actually likely to help them at some point - I wanted Ottoman land to benefit Russia but that benefit was meaningless if my other enemies in Europe got stronger as well. I wanted Russia to get stronger and The Ottoman (Empire to get weaker without anyone else benefiting as a result. Sultana Helena would not be as useful to me as someone like Krystyna or perhaps now Yasamin, however, she still had a role to play in my vision of a new order along the eastern fringe of Europe. An order where The Tsardom of Russia would reign supreme with a collection of Wlodzislawa Kingdoms to our west ruled by Krystyna and her successors to spread our influence and deny our enemies, all the while, a Turkish Empire in the south remains just strong enough to resist my enemies but not my state.

"You didn't want to capture her, did you?" Yelizaveta observed as Sultana Helena escaped rather easily, meanwhile, my cannons battered the walls and kept the defenders of Yerevan locked in a battle on two fronts as their walls were pelted from outside while General Mikhailovich and now King Constantine IV of Georgia lead our joined forces into the city. I gave the outer line the order to advance closer into the city now that our forces inside were swarming the mortars. Yerevan had already fallen, actually taking the city was nothing but a formality at this point with the soldiers defending the city for The Ottoman Empire being there for no purpose other than slowing us done long enough for their Sultana to escape, but I had no interest in capturing her - after all, I wanted to negotiate with her, not whoever the Turkish nobility replaced her with.

"No, I want her to realize that her Empire is completely outclassed but to retain her authority. My mission here is to expand Russia, not to bring in my enemies to carve up The Ottoman Empire." I explained as Yerevan fell. I had to imagine that her position in control of The Ottoman Empire was precarious at best and capturing her would no doubt lead to a coup - I could relate to that, my authority only truly became serious over Russia when I proved myself with a massive victory against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth which allowed me to push forward my absolutist agenda, something I kept alive with the fact that war against The Ottoman Empire was inevitable and, now that the war is actually happening, an even greater victory and my plans for the west being put into action will solidify my rule. Crimea and Caucasia being brought into The Tsardom of Russia while Krystyna creates allies and puppets for us in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and potentially The Kingdom of Bohemia, The Kingdom of Hungary, and perhaps even The Kingdom of Naples will well and truly establish Russia as a leading great power than the likes of England and France will no longer be able to ignore. Moscow will become just as important to European politics as London, as Paris, as Vienna. Andrea and Camillo the architects are hard at work in my White Square to build a capital that even the greats of western Europe will be envious of and my victories here in the east will ensure that my capital is not only beautiful but of great importance.

A great importance that was outlined when my armies finally took control of the city and suddenly, the black double-headed eagle on a golden backdrop was flying over Yerevan. Alexander the Great, The Roman Empire, and The Abbasid Caliphate had all failed to conquer Armenia, but now, the Russian flag was proudly flying over the city. If my flag could fly here...where couldn't it fly?

* * *

King Constantine IV, General Mikhailovich, Yasamin, Yelizaveta, and I gathered together in the administrative building of Yerevan to discuss our plans from here on out. We had to strike at the major fortresses in the region - Trabzon, Tabriz, and eventually Baghdad - and we could incorporate The Army of the Caucasus into these plans as they were to head south once Baku had fallen. We were going to determine what our army was going to do and then we would determine what we wanted General Feodorov to do with his army. Meanwhile, General Perevernykruchenko up in Crimea should have occupied the steppe by now and should be concentrating on the valuable regions by now - the port city of Azov and then the actual Crimean peninsula.

"We should capture Trabzon first, that way, if the Turks raise another army in Anatolia they will be preoccupied with retaking the fortress rather than facing us or going on the offensive into Georgia." King Constantine IV advised. Now, I could see that my uncle was acting primarily in the best interests of his Kingdom, however, I didn't want The Ottomans forcing us to retake Georgian land once again either. Additionally, Trabzon would be out of the way later on if we moved southeast towards Trabzon and Baghdad, therefore, I did agree that we should take Trabzon first. The Byzantine fortress would indeed keep the Turks busy should they try to recreate the Anatolian army that we slaughtered at Tskhumi and then finished off within the walls of Yerevan.

"Very well, next, I think that The Army of the Caucasus should move on Tabriz and we should join them as soon as we finish in Trabzon. Once Tabriz is done, we should march together on Baghdad with General Feodorov." General Mikhailovich accepted the move on Trabzon as well before proposing a very safe and by-the-book strategy for the rest of the war. The combined forces of this army and that of General Feodorov would bring nearly seventy-thousand troops around Tabriz - a fortress in rather rough terrain - before our combined forces descent on Baghdad. The massive numbers practically guarantee that Tabriz will fall despite the difficult terrain and then they will be absolutely necessary in capturing Baghdad. These two cities are impressive fortresses as Tabriz had been the capital of the Qara Qoyunlu Sultanate before their conquest of Persia while Baghdad has long been a center of Islamic civilization before Tamerlane, the great Uzbek conqueror of Persia who established the Timurid Empire, sacked the city. Baghdad has yet to entirely recover but it is the center of Iraq and it sits on the very same rivers of Mesopotamia where great historical cities like Babylon and Seleucia sat. The history and the strategic location means that Baghdad will be a difficult city to capture, however, if we manage to capture it while our counterparts in Crimea and Moldavia succeed on their fronts, Sultana Helena will have no option other than to call for peace. That is why I need her on the throne, I need someone smart enough to realize that if Baghdad fell, the other cities of The Ottoman Empire can fall too. I do not want a foolish conservative Turkish nobleman with delusions of being able to turn this war forcing my armies to march upon Damascus and perhaps even Constantinople itself. I do not need this war to be able longer than it has to be.

It is now properly into the spring of 1623 due to the time needed to recapture Georgia and lay siege to Yerevan. Sultana Helena had evidently managed to drag her army through the mountains despite the attrition and arrived in the Armenian fortress before leaving the region altogether. These months have gone well for The Tsardom of Russia between halting the Turkish advance and completely turning events around in Caucasia, pushing The Ottomans off of the steppe around Crimea, and putting the defenses of Baku to task in a lengthy siege whilst the combined allied army under Lady Krystyna pushed the Romanians and the Balkan forces of The Ottoman Empire back in their quest for conquering Bessarabia. The start of this war was going well and my goal was to continue this momentum - the last thing that I needed was for a change of leadership in Constantinople to undo all of my progress and halt my momentum.

"And what are we going to do when Baghdad falls?" Yasamin asks. The Persian noblewoman with ambitions on India seemed to be a strange addition to my court on paper, however, the ambitious Shi'ite daughter of a Persian administrator of an Armenian city was no stranger to being in a diverse situation and was already beginning to feel right at home even in the war camp. She spoke perfect Russian, perhaps a result of her father being well aware of the geopolitical situation surrounding Yerevan and educating his daughter in the relevant languages - Armenian for the city itself and Turkish and Russian for the regional powers contending over the city, and of course her native Persian - and she did not disrupt events within our camp either. She had brought a number of her own tents with her for herself and for the guards and the driver she brought with her. The guards and the driver would have been a problem, but the fact that she was prepared to provide for them herself meant that it wasn't a problem after all. She was a pragmatic woman and that was already impressing me...she would prove rather useful while she was here and I think that if she succeeded in reestablishing some sort of Bahmanid Sultanate in southern India, that would benefit Russia in ways I had never expected. Not only will we be able to deny our enemies but we will also be able to use them as a conduit for our influence in India, something that we would otherwise be unable to accomplish because of the political and geographical obstacles separating Russia from India. Thanks to Krystyna and Yasamin, my ambitions were now growing far beyond even the most ambitious borders of The Tsardom of Russia. My border may end in Byelorussia, but my direct influence may be able to extend as far away as Prague and indirectly, who knows what the limits are? I didn't know yet, but I was eager to find out and I knew I had a wonderful woman in eastern Europe carrying out my goals and perhaps I could have that in India as well.

"That should be when we have Bathory Terezia, our trusted regent in Moscow, make our demands." Yelizaveta proposed, filling in Yasamin about Terezia, my wonderful right-hand woman and her lover. I agreed, so long as The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had at very least taken Bessarabia and General Perevernykruchenko had completed his conquest of Ottoman Crimea, the fall of Baghdad would be the perfect point for calling for peace. We would control everything we wanted in Caucasia, Crimea, and Moldavia and we would at very least have the added leverage of controlling one of the largest and most significant cities in The Ottoman Empire. At that point, The Ottoman Army must be defeated on every front - they're already defeated in Caucasia and there is no doubt going to be a major battle in Crimea and Moldavia before the war is over - so they shall decisively be crushed, there will no doubt be a naval battle for supremacy over the Black Sea and my navy was specifically designed to take on The Ottoman Navy whilst Portuguese ships would truly change the balance in our favor, and Sultana Helena is smart enough to realize that, at that point, continuing to drag the war on would only cause more defeats and more suffering for her people. Yelizaveta was right, once Baghdad falls, that has to be the end of the war. There is no sense in continuing on a war that the Turks have no hope of winning.

* * *

We set up camp once again the next time after making progress towards Trabzon. We were making good time and The Ottoman Empire seemed entirely incapable of responding to our actions. The Tsardom of Russia is a geographically massive country, but we only have a few major areas to protect as most of our country is unfortunately still rather backward, The Ottomans, however, have a geographically massive Empire as well and the most important elements of their Empire are spread far and wide away from each other. The Turks cannot spare troops from Egypt or Arabia to stop us in the northeast corner of their Empire because they cannot risk losing control of some of the most significant regions of The Ottoman Empire - Egypt for its historical and economic value and Arabia for its significant in the Islamic religion - therefore, there wasn't much that The Ottoman Empire unless they managed to raise an army in Anatolia. Ideally, our Siege of Trabzon would be able to delay that army if the Turks did indeed manage to raise one.

The war was going extremely well and part of that was thanks to Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani. The Bahmanid Dynasty was reduced from Sultans in their own right to servants of the Turkmen Qara Qoyunlu lords of Persia, that did not suit Yasamin and she was working beyond her station to rectify that. Her ambitions intrigued me, I would not think that a Shia Sultanate in southern India would be effective at all, especially since it was attempted once and eventually failed, however, that did not deter the young Persian. She intrigued me and, the more I thought about it, the more fascinated I was with her intentions. Her ambitions presented me with an opportunity to broaden my already massive ambitions and, as an absolutist monarch, I was certainly not one to refuse the chance of creating a loyal ally - some might say a puppet - in a place that I could not otherwise play a role in. Now, I'm sure that Yasamin did not see this arrangement leading to her new Bahmanid Sultanate becoming a puppet state, however, while she may be useful in her own right, it is in the best interests of Russia for me to try and maximize this relationship. A long term puppet state is a lot more useful than short term information and whatever admittedly useful services Yasamin was willing to offer me once we return to Moscow. I longed for that return as well, I wanted to see how my White Square was progressing - Yelizaveta and I deserved to return to the greatest court in Europe and it would suit me perfectly to welcome Yasamin to the newest and greatest palace Europe has ever seen rather than a glorified fortress like the Kremlin or a mere royal retreat like Kolomenskoye. The true heir to Rome deserved such greatness.

"Hello Yasamin." I greeted her as I sat down next to her on a rug set up outside of her tent, she had been reading a book that I couldn't identify - I didn't know how to read Persian or indeed any language written in the Arabic script - she put the book down and flashed a polite smile at me. She began dressing somewhat more simply once she joined our war camp and no longer had to dress elegantly to impress me. She wore a loose turquoise shirt and white leggings tucked into black leather boots. I was wearing a military uniform identical to the one which I had worn the day I met her. Her complexion was more or less what I expected from a Middle Eastern woman, however, she was a very attractive version of that typical complexion. She had silky long black hair and brown eyes, her skin was maybe a shade or two darker than average but not by much. She was definitely a beautiful woman, but I had no interest in pursuing anything with her. First of all, at this point I'm confident enough to state that I have a preference for fair complexions and Yasamin is not that, second of all, if I did get past my preferences, she was coming to Moscow for the express purpose of preparing for an invasion of southern India to recreate The Bahmanid Sultanate so pursuing anything with her would only lead to heartbreak just like my relationship with Krystyna did, finally, even if I were able to look past all that, if Krystyna couldn't kill off my feelings for Yelizaveta, Yasamin had no chance. There would not be a relationship here, but that didn't meant that she wouldn't be a useful ally, a talented protege, and perhaps even a great friend. I was eager to make the most of my time with her and I did want to see her succeed in her very unlikely goal.

Speaking of her goal, I was rather surprised that she stated my court developed a reputation for hosting powerful women. Sure there was Lady Krystyna who I groomed to be the next King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. There was also Bathory Terezia who had been struggling to make a name for herself following in her father's footsteps as the Portuguese diplomat to Transylvania yet now serves a far more extensive role in Russia and is even currently acting as my regent in Moscow. Of course, there's Yelizaveta and Sofiya too so, seemingly, Russia will have three consecutive Tsarinas in a row - though the reality is that I can't see little Sophie wanting to become ruler at any point, she will most likely pass the throne on to her eldest child, though that could be a Tsarina as well - so perhaps Moscow is becoming a court for powerful women, even if I did not necessarily intend for it to become one. Though maybe I could actively pursue that policy, Krystyna was already in the progress of becoming a powerful woman in her own right and Yasamin joined me for that express purpose of pursuing her agenda, and I was using both of these events to further the influence of The Tsardom of Russia, if I actively found more ambitious young women to push into powerful positions in Kingdoms that would then become sympathetic to Russia, then who knows how far and wide my influence could extend?

"Hello Anastasia." she greeted, Yelizaveta and I had managed to get her to start behaving more casually around us, something which was paying off now that I decided to speak with Yasamin one on one. Her Russian truly was perfect, obviously she had a bit of an accent due to being a native speaker of Persian, but that was not nearly enough to interfere with my ability to understand her. She was clearly an intelligent woman and, if anyone was going to accomplish her goals, it would be her. I did have a few questions though: first of all: how was the Islamic world going to react to Yasamin becoming a Sultana outright in southern India? The internal tensions within THe Ottoman Empire are obviously enough that news of it reached us in Moscow. Though perhaps given that this new Bahmanid Sultanate would be in a region that is insignificant to Islam while the massive Ottoman Empire spans the core of Islamic civilization might make a difference. There is also the fact that perhaps the lack of Shia Islamic powers means that a single generation of female rule will be tolerated - Persia is the only major Shia Islamic state left after the Turkish conquests in Arabia. The second question is this: how does she intend to continue her dynasty? A matrilineal marriage is rare enough in Europe, let alone in the middle east or India, therefore, if her line was to go through her, it would only be the Bahmanid dynasty for a single generation.

"I wanted to ask you more about your ambitions. How do you think the creation of a Shia Islamic state in southern India would go?" I asked the first question I had been pondering. I already thought of a potential answer myself but I was certainly not an expert on Shia Islam or the dynamics of Indian politics, I wanted to know what she had to say. I was glad to support Yasamin and I wanted to turn this Bahmanid Sultanate into a Russian puppet state, however, I knew that I would likely end up having to devote resources to this diversion - Yasamin would no doubt have to gather allies in Moscow to form a sort of court in preparations for forming a government and would need money to fund and arm an army on the Deccan - therefore, in order to provide Russian aid to this Indo-Persian mission, I wanted to know that Yasamin had the mind to ensure that this Russian backed puppet state would last longer than she did.

"Now, religiously, I think that there are two sides to this. The first side is the Shia side, now, you know as well as I do that female rulers are very rare in the Islamic world, Sultana-regent Helena in Constantinople being the first one in perhaps a few centuries. However, the Shia religion does not have the luxury of being picky...unless I give them that luxury. I will present the Shia Persians an opportunity to have a state dominated by Persians rather than Turkmen, sure, they will have to deal with a single female ruler, but I am confident that I will be able to summon enough Persian support to form a powerful bureaucracy and officer's corps for an army. The bigger problem is the vast Hindu population of the Deccan where I want to make my Sultanate. I shall make concessions and incorporate the Kannada, Marathi, and Telugu peoples into my government and bureaucracy and leave their religion undisturbed. I am sure that some will still revolt and object to my rule, but I think I will be able to use policies to pacify enough of the population that only a manageable amount of the population will revolt. My army, which I intend to be very elite, will then have no problem making an example of those rebels." Yasamin explained. Now, there was a little bit of hope and assumption in her statement, however, there is hope and assumption in my policy as well, besides, she is very educated in the situation of the Deccan and surrounding areas. That demonstrates that, if nothing else, she has put enough time and effort into planning this that, with the help of that proto-government she'd form and Russian aid, the foundation for the Bahmanid Sultanate will at least be strong. I was mostly on board at this point, but I still needed to know who power was going to pass to.

"A single female ruler implies that you already have a male heir selected." I pointed out. If it was realistic, I wouldn't mind if Yasamin had a female heir, however, even here in a European country I was doubted when I ascended to the throne, that doubt will only be stronger in a state as out of place as a new Bahmanid Sultanate. She needs to have a male heir because, otherwise, the succession will never be tolerated. Sultana Helena in Constantinople only has authority because she is regent for The Ottoman heir, if there was an adult uncle or old enough brother, then Helena would have nothing. Even I am only Tsarina of Russia because my parents tried twice more to have a male heir and failed both times. Of course, now my authority has been codified by the massive victory over Warsaw, but even now I am sure that plenty of nobles whisper behind my back plotting to get some male puppet married to me and to use him to control the throne. That won't happen as I obviously won't be getting married, nor will Yelizaveta, however, to continue our line, somebody does, and that leaves Sofiya. I want Sophie to at least be able to marry out of love because of the burden that I have placed on her, however, I don't want her husband to be smart or ambitious enough to steal power away from The House Rurikovich but at the same time I don't want her husband to be stupid or gullible enough to fall under the influence of the Boyars or other Russian nobles. I want her to fall in love with her eventual husband, but I want to be able to vet her potential husbands and find the man who is just competent enough to continue my dynasty's lineage while not competent enough to benefit himself by doing so.

"I have five in fact - my uncle and his four sons. The uncle is only thirty-six and his sons are all young and healthy. Do not worry Anastasia, my succession is as secure as I could reasonably hope for. With any luck, my uncle and his family will be able to join us in Moscow once this war is over." Yasamin explained, easing my worries. I was not entirely sure why the uncle and his family needed to wait until after the war to journey to Moscow but I suppose that there are two possibilities. One possibility being that the uncle doesn't want to travel through Caucasia while it is a war zone, the other is that he still has a position somewhere within the Persian government and his superiors will not let him loose to journey to Moscow because doing so might look like a provocation to The Ottomans. Yasamin can come over immediately because, in the eyes of the Persian government, she is just a girl, however, her uncle, a nobleman, can and will be treated like a threat by the Qara Qoyunlu dynasty, especially once they realize that Yasamin's plan basically depends on poaching talented Persians from the Turkmen lords of Persia. I suppose the second explanation is possible and the first one makes sense as well, in any case, the fact that the succession is secure is enough for me, even if I would prefer to have as much of the dynasty under my control as possible. Yasamin is not a fool it seems, she made sure she had everything under control before presenting her plan to me. I was eager to support it, especially because I had the idea that, if I refused, Yasamin was willing to present the plan to the Turks as well.

"Well...it seems you've passed all my scrutiny. You've won my support and my respect Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani, consider me impressed." I added as I showered her with accolades, she earned them. She thought through her plans and she presented me with an excellent case. Now, my influence could spread through not only Russia, but across eastern Europe and southern India, who knows where it could spread next? I don't know but I'm eager to find out. Once I return to Moscow after this war I shall indeed shape my court into what Yasamin perceived it as - a place for powerful and ambitious women to gather and plot to reshape the world - sure, many would fail to change anything, but the few women who do succeed will bring prestige to my court. This is not limited to just potential rulers but artists, writers, architects, poets, teachers - women who want to make something of themselves. Now obviously I won't overlook talented men, that is not what I want to do here, I simply want to benefit my state by reaching into a talent pool that is often overlooked in the rest of the world. That and getting to poach talented women before my enemies have the chance to see them will benefit me at the expense of my enemies.

I was only nineteen and I was at the helm of The Ottoman Empire, a massive and powerful state that, in defeating The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and now The Ottoman Empire, Russia has made itself impossible to ignore. Now, I can determine the future of my state and, by extension, the route of much of Europe. Baroque architecture has only just emerged as the popular style of Italy and France, but Moscow's now White Square is already being built in that style, meaning that Moscow will serve as an inspiration for a new architectural style spreading across Europe like a wildfire. Stocking my court with women is already set to bring eastern Europe and southern India into the fold of Russian influence and I haven't even turned that into actual policy yet. My wars have already expanded Russia by bringing us Byelorussia and the Ukraine, bringing us Kiev, the origin of Russian civilization, as well as a massive surplus of crops from the great plains of the European plain, next, I'm on track to gain Crimea and Caucasia from The Ottoman Empire as well as increasing our stranglehold over Georgia. The Black Sea will be ours after this war. Future wars will be concerned with gaining more control over the Baltic Sea and expanding The Tsardom of Russia to the east. I had an entire lifetime ahead of me as a ruler and there is so much I can do, so much I can affect. I can become the definitive ruler of the century as far as eastern Europe is concerned and I have the benefit of a great heiress in the form of Yelizaveta. The destiny of Russia is bright and the next step in that destiny is to take the Byzantine fortress of Trabzon. The Komnenos dynasty outlived the Palaiologos of Constantinople in its walls - a number of the Princesses who form my blood connection to Rome were born in its walls - now I, the true Empress of Rome, will finally lay the old remnant to rest and return its relics to the Third Rome.

* * *

I had just changed into my nightgown and was about to lay down for the night when an excited Yelizaveta entered the tent, still dressed in a uniform and evidently bringing good news.

"A messenger just arrived in the camp, General Feodorov took Baku. He and his army are already on route to Tabriz. The Siege will already be under way by the time we finish up with Trabzon and arrive." Yelizaveta told me as she began changing into her own devilishly short nightgown. This truly was good news, the war was now entirely out of Caucasia and onto Ottoman soil that I was not currently interested in. We could now inflict all the damage and devastation we wanted to in order to end this war. The sooner this war was over, the sooner I could return to Moscow and pursue my ambitions, something that would hopefully be enough to distract me from this horrible, sinful lust that was still tormenting me all this time, all these months after that night in Minsk.

I watched as Liz discarded the last shreds of her uniform and was left in only her undergarments, a soft pink blush all over her skin. I knew I should have looked away but I also knew that I was far too weak to do so. She finally slipped on her nightgown but, if anything, that just made the admittedly generous amount of skin that I could still see so much more desirable. We locked eyes as she laid down next to me and, for only a moment, I could swear that I could see hunger in her blue eyes, the very same hunger that I was sure was practically glowing in my eyes. She laid down next to me, our long, pale legs tangled together as she threw our blanket over us, arms around each other, and faces mere inches apart. There was only so much we could do to lie to ourselves that this was about warmth. No, this was not, we both had these urges and, despite our morals and despite our disgust, we would use any excuse for intimacy. This was dangerous. How many more nights could I continue myself while sleeping like this? How many more nights could _she _contain herself sleeping like this?

"I love you Anastasia." Yelizaveta kissed me on the lips and whispered in my ear.

"I love you too Liz." I replied, reciprocating the kiss. Neither of us were quite sure if we meant the gesture to be sisterly or romantic, but both of us were quite certain that the gesture ended up being both. I drifted off to an uneasy sleep, scared of how easily something between the two of us could be both sisterly and romantic...two kinds of relationships that should be entirely different yet, to us, they seemed almost exactly the same. I had to wonder when the line between sisterhood and romance became so blurred, I had to wonder where these feelings originated from. Were they always there and it took the realization of our mutual sexuality to realize it or was this attraction born out of our mutual sexuality? I mean Yelizaveta is a beautiful woman, but so is Krystyna, so is Terezia, so is Yasamin in her own way, why is it that the one I'm related to is the one that I am so attracted to? I had to admit that there was more to this than just physical attraction, perhaps our sisterly love mutated into this incestuous horror without us even realizing it until it was too late. I loved Krystyna too, but the inevitability of being split apart and the conflicting interests of our countries had always poisoned our relationship, but with Yelizaveta, there was none of that. Despite the fact that it is incestuous, despite the fact that it is entirely forbidden, despite the fact that we shouldn't ever even think about being together, it seemed like a relationship between us would, in many ways, be easier than even my relationship with Krystyna was and perhaps more than her relationship with Terezia. My mind was finally silenced by the warm embrace of sleep but, just as surely as the sun rises, these horrible thoughts and feelings would return in the morning.

* * *

Okie dokie, this has been chapter twenty-four of The Legacy of The Romans! Next chapter will follow Sultana Helena and Fatimah on the Crimean front. Until then, next weekend I will post a chapter of my Star Wars story Secrets of The Outer Rim, so check that out if you're interested!

I love you all, peace out! Ciao everyone!


	25. The War on The Crimean Front

Alright guys, chapter twenty-five! Not only is the word count well ahead of anything else that I've written but after this chapter it will be the longest chapter wise as well, finally overtaking my similar fictionpress story The Marchioness of Torino. Anyway, all of that is well and good but first, lets get through this chapter - here, we pick up as Sultana Helena and Fatimah assume command of the Kirim Ordusu - the Ottoman Army of Crimea. The two work to salvage a victory after a terrible start to The Russo-Ottoman War.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXV.

The War on The Crimean Front.

* * *

The _Kayser-i Rum_ arrived in the ports near Trabzon flanked by numerous other Ottoman vessels.

Our navy was unopposed on the Black Sea as we arrived in Crimea, dispelling any notion that the Russians built a fleet to destroy our own. The Russians, even with Portuguese ships that managed to reinforce the enemy forces in the Black Sea, did not dare challenge my mighty navy, they did not dare challenge the authority of the Ottoman flagship. The Mediterranean Sea had been the lifeblood of The Roman Empire, they ruled the seas and thus could patrol the entire coastline in a way that no civilization has been able to since. Justinian came close in replicating their success when the Byzantine Empire was at the peak of its power and now we reign supreme over the long Muslim coast of North Africa as well as Syria, Palestine, and Anatolia, but no one has controlled the Mediterranean the way that the Romans have. However, we can and will control the Black Sea. Russia have a few ports in their gaps on either side of Crimea and Georgia may straddle the coast at the base of the Caucasus, but for all their coastline, they have missed their chance to challenge us.

We arrived on Crimea in peace, coming into port at Theodoro. battling the Russians on the Crimean front should be much easier. We would enlist the undamaged Kirim Ordusu and waged war against the local Russian forces rather than the Russian reinforced by the Georgians - we wouldn't need to worry about getting pushed back into the mountains, we wouldn't have to fight Tsarina Anastasia herself, and we wouldn't be victim to any Persian interlopers. The only person who can influence the war in Crimea is me, I know exactly how Crimea was defended before the Ottoman conquest and I know that my husband didn't care for actually making something of his conquests. The fall of Erivan is proof that Suleiman III was an unimaginative Sultan, caring only for conquest and glory without looking at the bigger picture and thinking of how this land can best be utilized to actually benefit and expand The Ottoman Empire rather than overextend it and eventually bleed it dry. Fatimah and I are exactly the kind of people that The Ottoman Empire need but, instead, we have to make due with Spartak Pasha and other traditionalists trying to undermine us and overthrow us and, on top of all that, I must contend with Tsarina Anastasia waging war against my Empire.

It is a damn shame that the two most powerful women in the world must find ourselves at odds with one another. I am not the one that wanted war but it was obvious that the Europeans were going to jump on my reign and perceive my regency as a weakness and, of course, the young and ambitious Anastasia ruling over a Russia on the rise would be the one to strike first. Of course, this was after she struck at The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - I think what happened there was a blessing and a curse, it was a blessing because it demonstrated that the Europeans still feared us and overestimated our ability to wage war, buying us more time to prepare for this war, but this was a curse as well because, in overestimating us, Tsarina Anastasia raised a mighty, mighty force to destroy us. Not only are the Russian armies themselves great but they are disciplined and hardened after war against Poland, meanwhile, the surviving soldiers of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are also hardened by warfare but also itching to avenge their lost and bring back their country's prestige, additionally, the Portuguese have taken advantage of our ceasefire rather than a truce to join Russia in a war - intending to either retake Muscat and Bahrain now or weaken us enough that their eventual reconquest will be easier - and, perhaps worst of all, our treacherous vassals in Transylvania have joined the enemy. Not only was I on the verge of losing my Crimean homeland and the newly conquered Caucasus but Moldavia was likely going to the Poles while Transylvania would escape my sphere of influence, the Principality trading Turkish and Austrian masters for Russian and Polish ones. This war could be a disaster for The Ottoman Empire's European ambitions and, while I have a distaste for war, I am increasingly seeing that pacifism is useless if my enemies do not respect it and I do not want to deny my son or my descendants from pursuing greater European conquests if they so desire, even if I personally disagree with this idea.

"What's that in the distance?" Fatimah asked, I followed her gaze and found the masts of ships, masts of ships topped with Russian and Portuguese flags. I turned around and I saw the same masts coming in from the opposite sides. I watched as a joined Russian and Portuguese force surrounded the Turkish fleet that just came into port here in Theodoro. The Russians finally made their move. They have been waiting and waiting to catch my fleet off guard so that they would not have to face it in a fair fight and, unfortunately, they seem to have succeeded. I looked around and I could see that, with an admittedly challenging and risky strategy, our fleet could break out of this trap and sail out to more open waters where we could wage battle with the Russian fleet, allowing for our experienced sailors led by El Diablo, the fearsome admiral who has slaughtered countless Spanish and Portuguese navies, to turn the tide. That was all well and good, but, for now, this was just an unfortunate inconvenience, we would break out of port after we dealt with the Russian ground forces and turned this war around. Right now, a major ground victory was more important for The Ottoman Empire than a victory at sea. Our navy is not in question right now, but our army is - our failures in Caucasia will only make our European rivals more and more hungry - I don't want to be the next victim when Austria and France finally finish their political struggle thinly disguised as a religious war between the Catholics, lead by the Austrian Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor and the Protestants, lead by the Lutheran Adolphus Rex of Sweden but really propped up by the machinations of a French Catholic Cardinal. I restore my army's reputation before I have to prove it before every European power.

"The Russians set a trap and we sprung it." I admitted, this was an unfortunate complication and it could potentially threaten our supply lines later on, but, when the fleet arrived to Trabzon to pick Fatimah and I up, they had more than enough supplies for a Crimean campaign, not to mention that the peninsula itself is fairly able to sustain itself. The supplies and the Kirim Ordusu would be unleashed upon the Russians - we shall see if their navy has the bravery to keep up this blockade if their army is beaten - and, with any luck, the might of the Ottoman armies will be avenged. Even if we are to lose Crimea, even if we are to lose Caucasia, even if we are to lose Moldavia on top of all that, we must maximize the results of this bad situation. Giving up too easily will lead to all our enemies greedily lashing out at us, practically tripping over each other to steal my land, giving too late will cause more suffering for The Ottoman Empire than Crimea, Caucasia, and Moldavia are worth, but, if we can end this war at just the right time, win or lose, our reputation will leave us just strong enough for some European powers to back down entirely and for the rest to hesitate just long enough that Fatimah and I can prepare for a war. Of course, this would be a lot easier if I knew what Tsarina Anastasia's intentions are - does she intend to shatter my Empire completely and cause regional turmoil for Russia to exploit? Does she intend to sack Konstantiniyye and rob my capital of its riches just like she did with Warsaw? Or does she want to keep The Ottoman Empire strong? Keeping my Empire as an exhibit that she can take from whenever she wants? I wasn't sure, Tsarina Anastasia was deadly intelligent woman and, once again, it is a shame that the two of us must be on other sides - in better circumstances, together, we could take advantage of the religious and political chaos in Germany so that I could claim the rest of Hungary while she expanded her sphere of influence to the west beyond the borders of her Polish puppet state.

"Wonderful. Well, we can fight the Russians on the peninsula or on the steppe, we'll drag a victory out of this Helena, I promise." Fatimah assured me and I was glad to find that we were in agreement. There was no denying that the Russian and Portuguese ships were a setback but we cannot let that setback stop us from doing everything we can to maximize the results of this war for The Ottoman Empire.

* * *

"Azov is under siege by Russia's Army of the Ukraine, there's thirty-five thousand of them. We have twenty-nine thousand of our own men and we have received further reinforcements from the Kazakh Horde." Fatimah reported as we arrived in Theodoro proper. Part of me wanted to stay here with Fatimah for a little while and pretend that, somehow, despite everything that has happened, I was still a happy Princess of Theodoro with my family and that Fatimah was a part of that family, but I knew better than that. First of all, that fantasy is impossible since I only met Fatimah because I became the Sultana-regent of The Ottomans and second of all, Fatimah and I could not rest while this war was still waging. I was the ruler of The Ottoman Empire and Fatimah was my Grand Vizier, it was our duty to protect the Empire, even if I would rather spend some private time with the woman I called my wife back in the place I called home.

"And what of the Cossacks?" I asked, these Russian horsemen reigned over the steppe, all nominally under Tsarina Anastasia's rule but, in practice, it varied on the whims of Cossack warlords. Some were so deeply ingrained in the state that they were more Muscovite than Cossack, others only paid lip service to their rulers and operated however they wished. The fact that Russia now had the relatively unknown quantity of Cossacks from Zaporizhia and Ruthenia as well as their own only complicated matters. These wild horsemen could and would turn the tide of battle of the vast steppe but Russia would have to convince the warlords to fight, something which might be more trouble than its worth for Anastasia's Russia. The Tsarina clearly has great ambitions and I doubt that she wants to slow herself down by having to fulfill some set of obligations for the Cossacks. The Cossacks were either going to side with Russia or stay out of this war and whatever option they took was sure to have massive consequences. That is why I feel the need to ask Fatimah before proceeding.

"Perhaps five thousand Cossacks have joined the Russians, raiding the steppe surrounding the peninsula, though none have been so bold as to cross onto the peninsula itself." Fatimah told me. We have heard that many more Cossack warlords feel conflicted for a variety of reasons - some feel that they have paid their dues to Russia by joining the last war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth without complaints, others still fear my Empire more than they fear Moscow, others yet are Cossacks from the newly conquered regions who are predisposed towards mistrusting Moscow and its Rurikovich overlords. Anyway, Fatimah had more yet to reveal "However, many more warlords have promised to join the war if the Russians are able to break down the walls to Azov. Control over the land around the peninsula and very soon the peninsula itself will be impossible if all of the major warlords of southern Russia join forces together to decimate my Empire.

"Well, it seems that we must respond quickly, before Azov falls." I turned around to face the Kirim Ordusu, an army of Tatars, Turks, Greeks, Genoese remnants, and even Crimean Goths, a small group but a defining one for southern Crimea, so much so that my family's branch of the Komnenos dynasty went by the name of the House of Gothia. This was a diverse army, almost as diverse as the one in Anadolu, but it would serve our purposes just fine, with the proper leadership and the proper timing, we can defeat the Russians at Azov and, with control over the Sea of Azov reestablished, we can use the mainly inland sea to prepare our navy for battle against the Russians - this time, the _Kayser-i Rum _and my other ships will be more than ready to wage war against Russia. I have failed in Caucasia, I have failed to predict what Tsarina Anastasia would do, but I shall not fail in Crimea.

"Soldiers! Forward to Azov! Today, we fight for your homes!" Fatimah cried out and rose her fist in the air as the army cheered. Fatimah was here for me and the Kirim Ordusu was here for us. Maybe this wouldn't be as pointless as war tends to be. This is no longer a war of balance politics, this is no longer a war between two rivals on a collision course, this was the people of Crimea defending their home...and mine. Failure in Caucasia meant that failing here would mean losing Crimea to Russia, none of us wanted that, thus, in the end, it seemed that defense was a far greater motivator than holy warfare. That lingering thought had worried me, what would be the ramifications of me declaring a Jihad if it failed? Would that erode my Islamic support? What if they find out that I am not a devout Muslim, will I be punished for my declaration? What if my declaration causes other Sunni powers to declare war on Russia and get demolished in the process? I would be absolutely devastated if my spur-of-the-moment motivator for the troops leads to the pointless deaths of soldiers who shouldn't have even been involved with this conflict. There is a big difference between justly dying in defense of your homeland and dying pointlessly because of a glorified foreign war.

I didn't know what the consequences of my actions would be, but I know that everything I am doing is for Fatimah, Abdullah-Timur, and myself - I want Fatimah and I to be there together as we raise Abdullah-Timur into a competent leader and Sultan of The Ottoman Empire. I just hope that, in trying to do so, I haven't jeopardized my future and the future of those around me.

* * *

Azov withstood the siege long enough for the besieging Russians to have to abandon their positions. The Army of The Ukraine regathered its forces and marched to meet us in the wild steppe outside of Azov. It was summer by now and the sun reigned supreme in the sky - the steppe was a cruel mistress, in the winter, it was bitterly cold while in the summer it was incredibly hot - today was no exception, soldiers on both sides were suffering the heat and, fortunately for us, my troops had a better disposition. Much of Ukraine is steppe as well, but these soldiers were outfitted like the other Russians and were clearly uncomfortable. That could be the saving grace of this battle. The first volleys of cannon fire were exchanged as I assessed both groups of soldiers. The Battle of Azov had begun. Ottoman boots and Russian boots matched towards each other as guns and pikes prepared to join together in combat.

The battlefield was hot and gunpowder was only making it hotter as the Russians struggled to fight in these conditions. This meant that the battle was going a lot better than the battles in Caucasia had. They had more cannons but they were hot to the touch and their artillery crews were visibly getting fatigued - they became slow, sloppy, and ineffective. Their infantry fared little better. The horsemen were a problem, the Russified Cossacks of their ranks were masters of the steppe and thus were able to terrorize our troops despite the condition of their comrades. Their effort was valiant but, alas for them, it was too late. A Russian general with a bushy black beard have the order to retreat and his troops began fleeing the battlefield. I gave my army the order to stand down, there was no reason to keep this fighting going after we only just finished it.

Azov was safe, for now.

My army began to pull itself back together and count its losses outside of the city while Fatimah and I entered its walls, glad to see that the trading city survived despite the lengthy Russian siege. There was plenty of rubble and damage, but that could be repaired, the people were suffering from hunger, but supply lines with Theodoro would be reopened, the guards exhausted themselves holding back the siege, but they could be relieved by soldiers. I had focused too much on the war in Caucasia at the beginning, but now, now I was where I probably should have been all along - Crimea, the place that I once called home. I won a solid victory here, I solid victory which The Ottoman Empire was certainly in need of.

"This city had been a Genoese colony once, you know." I told Fatimah, I was made well aware of the local history of the Black Sea region by my family, including that of the Genoese. Of course, the way that the Genoese had gotten their Black Sea colonies involved deceiving and stealing from the Byzantine Empire, but, when Theodoro bordered these Genoese colonies later on, the Italian merchant Republic became an important ally. Once The Ottomans got their hands on the Crimean Khanate, I do not think that The Principality of Theodoro would have lasted nearly as long without protection from Genoa. Of course, Suleiman III put an end to all that, but at least with my bloodline, Theodoro will remain in the hands of the descendants of the House of Gothia, even if those descendants are Ottoman by the male line. Abdullah Timur will make up for all of it, he will be the most powerful Sultan ever because Fatimah and I are to make sure he rules over something more than just a large blob on a map, we are bringing stability to this blob by modernizing the institutions and winning over the support of the people with vast public works projects. A policy that Fatimah and I will continue with or without Crimea and Caucasia. We will not let this loss undo all that we have planned, all that we still wish to do with The Ottoman Empire. This war maybe turn out to be a blot on my reign, but I will not be defined by it.

"Yes, once the masters of the Mediterranean were the Venetians, the Genoese, and The Kingdom of Aragon...how much things have changed." Fatimah remarked. Things have indeed changed, mainly because of the rapid rise of The Ottomans. Two centuries ago the Turks were reeling in the wake of Timur's invasions, a century after that, The Mamluk Sultanate was brought down and Ottoman rule came over Syria, Egypt, and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Since then, North Africa has been brought into the mix with The Ottoman Empire now extending all the way to Algiers, next, we pushed the Qara Qoyunlu out of Kurdistan and Iraq, then my husbands conquests of the rest of Crimea along with Caucasia and, finally, Fatimah and I subjugating Arabia, bringing Najd, Hormuz, Oman, and Yemen into the fold. The Ottoman Empire is far larger and far more powerful than it ever has been before, stretching all the way north into Croatia, but I feared that cracks were beginning to show. I cannot allow this war to be the beginning of a slow decline for The Ottoman Empire. We were allies with France once and France shows us that a loss, even a big one, does not mean the end of a civilization. If we lose this war, then we must simply recover and either regain the land at a later point when Russia is weak or take new conquests. Civilizations, much like the moon that is so often our symbol, wax and wane. Our time will come again soon enough, for now, what matters is survival and stability. I wish that the traditionalists would understand that, overthrowing me for the sake of tradition will only destabilize the Empire further and cause infighting which will pave the way for our European rivals to carve our Empires to pieces.

"To be fair, our predecessors caused most of those changes. What with taking Venetian and Genoese colonies in Greece and opposing the Aragonese navy." I pointed out that those changes were caused by the rise of one power, just like how Russia wants to rise by eclipsing us in the east. If I could, I would tell Tsarina Anastasia that there is room for two powers to the east of Europe - Konstantiniyye is closer to Vienna than it is to Moscow, she has plenty of directions to wage war but she chose mine - to be fair, given her attack on the Poles and policy of expansion eastward, she may intend to wage war in all directions at one point of another - I can see why Russia wants Crimea and Caucasia - the former to put it in touch with Mediterranean trade, the latter to secure their Georgian ally and turn them into a puppet state and eventually integrate them outright, but again, I find myself wishing that we didn't have to be at war. I may not worship in a Muscovite Church but I do acknowledge that I am more Orthodox than I am anything else, the similarities don't end there - we are both ambitious, we are both pursuing an agenda of development as well as expansion, and we are both women in power in a world that has not been kind to our kind - yet we find ourselves as enemies because of a land dispute. Perhaps that is the difference, I know the horrors of war and I despite it for it, while Anastasia thrives in it.

"Well the Aragonese navy has been succeeding by the Spanish navy, so maybe they are still a thorn in our side." Fatimah quipped, pointing out another one of our major enemies, albeit one not involved in this war. Spain, the western branch of The House von Habsburg who cannot contend itself with an entire hemisphere practically for themselves, they must also concern themselves with the Mediterranean, reigning over the major islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily as well as the southern half of the Italian peninsula, the former Kingdom of Naples.

"We have many thorns in our sides, but we can face them together, my love." I grabbed her hands and she grabbed mine, we locked eyes, all four of our eyes were brown, but they were two distinctly different pairs. Mine told the story of Greece and Rome, the ancient forebearers of civilizations, the ones who conquered the entire known world, the ones who left their march from the coasts of Portugal to the fringes of India. Her eyes are an exotic brown, telling the tale of warriors on the backs of camel as they conquered the deserts of North Africa, setting up great Sultanates in Tunis, building greatness where Carthage once stood. Funnily enough, it was the Romans who reached the coasts of Portugal while the Greeks under Alexander reached the fringes of India, Fatimah's ancestors, the Arabs, did both. We both hailed from mighty backgrounds, and together, surely we were the ones to lead the mighty Ottoman Empire. A Turkish Empire it may be, but Greeks and Arabs are just as much a part of The Ottoman Empire as the ruling Turks, we deserve our post, we deserve to rule. Rule together.

"I'm with you, love." Fatimah promised. That made everything well, we were together and we would fight for what is best for The Ottoman Empire. Spartak Pasha and the other traditionalists may not understand what we want to do and simply want to go back to the traditional Turkish elite that got our Empire into this mess in the first place. We would not let them stop us, Fatimah and I had great plans for this Empire and, while obviously we preferred to keep Caucasia and Crimea - it is my home after all - for The Ottoman Empire as a whole, those provinces would not be that much of a loss. For Russia, they would be incredibly valuable, for us, it was more important to keep our valuable territory in the Syria and Iraq safe. I would not let my pride tear The Ottoman Empire apart to beat Anastasia, but I would not allow The Ottoman Empire to be humiliated either. My armies gained a victory over Russia at Azov, but that was with the Russians trapped between us and our fortress at Azov - that wasn't good enough - I needed to win in an outright fair fight against the armies that devastated The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in order to tell all of Europe that, just because Russia beat me in a war and took two regions, I am not to be trifled with. Fatimah and I are fighting for our Empire, but at the same time, we are fighting for our Empire's prestige and stability. Peace with Russia means nothing if Austria strikes a moment later, or Spain, or Persia, or any other one of the many, many enemies we have around the world. We need a true victory or else, despite my best efforts, my reign will be defined by war.

* * *

"The Russians seem to have retreated to Ochakiv, a new port city they've constructed, to regroup and prepare to return to the Crimean front." Fatimah reported, presenting the information in front of me. We were back in Theodoro right now as the summer of 1623 was coming to a close. The last few months of the war have been rough on us. Trabzon and Tabriz are under siege in the east, we beat the Russians at Azov but they're already licking their wounds and getting ready to bounce back, and, in Moldavia, the Polish-led forces are on the verge of capturing Besarabia. I wanted a victory, but I wasn't sure where it was going to come from. In Ochakiv, the Russians would be on the offensive and I had a hard enough time trying to defeat the Russians while they are on the attack, I hate to see what happens when I try to attack them when they're surrounded by the walls of a fortress on their own territory.

"Perhaps they intend to join with the Poles?" I suggested, Ochakiv was to the west of Crimea and thus between here and Besarabia, now, we knew that they were preparing to go back on a campaign, but it was possible that the campaign would be to the west. That was a blessing and a curse, this was a blessing because it would relieve the Crimean front and give Fatimah and I the chance to breath, however, the curse was that the blessing was worthless if the Russians went west just to join up with the Poles, crush our Balkan Ordusu, and open the way to Konstantiniyye itself. I did not think that the Russians and the Poles could actually occupy Konstantiniyye, but if this war over a few fringe provinces escalates to the point that the capital of The Ottoman Empire itself is being pelted by Russian cannons, then it truly will be time to end the war. Now, I still thought that the most likely event was that the Russian army in Ochakiv would return east to Crimea so that they can capture Azov, the steppe, the peninsula, and Theodoro after all, but I wanted to know every possibility.

"Unlikely, the Poles don't seem to need any help fighting against the Balkan Ordusu. The Prince of Moldavia and the Prince of Wallachia saw their armies devastated. Moldavia is pretty much out of free villages to enlist troops from while the Prince of Wallachia is refusing to raise another army. I already sent him a warning that we will step in if he tries to send envoys to either the Poles or the Russians." Fatimah explained. The Romanian Princes were becoming problematic, the Prince of Transylvania is openly rebelling now that he has Russian backing and the Habsburgs are too distracted to assert their authority over the mountainous vassal, the Prince of Moldavia is the victim of the Polish involvement in this war and thus most of their country is occupied, and now, the Prince of Wallachia seems to be trying to escape my authority. These Princes and their people have traditionally been rebellious, that is why Fatimah and I held off on annexing Wallachia and Moldavia despite wanting to expand, centralize, and stabilize our Empire. I also intended to more strongly assert my authority upon Transylvania, though it's clear how that worked out. I have already pretty much lost Transylvania, I shall likely lose Moldavia to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and, if not for Fatimah's warning, the Prince of Wallachia may try to escape from my authority. We must assert authority over Wallachia or else all the work the Ottoman dynasty put into pacifying the Romanians will be for nothing. Potentially losing both Transylvania and Moldavia in one war not even directly tied to the region is already a disaster, losing all three of the Principalities is a huge setback and one that would likely compromise our position in Croatia as well.

Croatia was rather recently conquered from the Habsburgs who declared it a part of their Kingdom of Hungary. Other parts of it were conquered by the Venetians - we secured the port cities such as Zadar and Split in Dalmatia and also conquered the Istrian peninsula. Istria serves the ultimate check to Venetian power, if they ever attempt to rebuild their Mediterranean Empire, we will be able to march an assault on the Venetian core lands in northeastern Italy. Thus, we have finally neutralized one of our long term enemies. The Dalmatian cities such as Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik - the former Republic of Ragusa - were major trade cities and thus rather valuable. Losing our Romanian vassals means that, in a war against the Habsburgs, the Austrians would be able to fight a one front war, something far more manageable. The long border with Austrian Hungary is what prevents the Habsburgs from taking the valuable Dalmatian ports. As things are now, we are able to attack Hungary from Croatia, our portion of Hungary, and Transylvania. With Transylvania gone and the properly Romanian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, our protrusion into Hungary will be erased, Dalmatia and Slavonia will be occupied, and they will attempt to take Belgrade, the great fortress on the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, the Balkans, and Romania. Our position in Europe is dependent on self-reinforcing territory, but, in this war, the Poles threaten to take that away. That lack of stability and permanence is exactly what the problem with The Ottoman Empire is.

"Well, then we will face them. We should move off the peninsula onto the steppe, I want to be ready to fight the Russians as soon as possible. A victory will be a long way to ensuring peace while we rebuild." It was our duty to make the Europeans think that we're strong enough that they hesitate when it comes to attacking us, hesitate just long enough for us to rebuild our armies and repair our defenses. This would allow us to be fully prepared in time if a war does break out and, if not, it gives us the chance to approach European powers with offers of alliances to prevent a future war. The Ottoman Empire once had an alliance with France to contain the Habsburgs back when Spain and The Holy Roman Empire were ruled in personal union, now, they are separate branches, but this separation will only make an alliance more effective - our comparative strength over Austria or Spain means that our alliance will contain the Habsburg dynasty. Meanwhile, an alliance with a northern European power such as The Kingdom of Sweden could be a check against the alliance between Russia and Poland-Lithuania. These will be rather difficult alliances to craft however, that is because Sweden and France are both already at war with the Habsburgs in The Holy Roman Empire in the religious struggle. By the time they finish that war I bet both sides will want nothing to do with further German wars and while that war is going on, I have no interest in getting entangled in that mess. Too many miniscule Princedoms shifting sides, shifting alliances, shifting religions - all of it is irrelevant compared to the great Ottoman Empire. Thus, perhaps France and Sweden will not be allies to the Turks. For all France has done for us in the past, they will switch that into a justification for their part in a European partition of The Ottoman Empire if it comes to that and Sweden seems more concerned with the borderline adventuring of Adolphus Rex and his son Prince Adolf. The latter of whom is especially unconcerned with the religious justification for this war, looting Catholic, Lutheran, and Calvinist towns and villages alike. The Prince is merely fighting to increase Sweden's wealth and glory so that, once he succeeds to the throne as Adolphus II, he will have a great realm to rule than his father did.

We were turning to leave the palace - Fatimah and I decided to make our base in the old House of Gothia Palace rather than the Ottoman Governor's office, it was mostly a nostalgic choice for me, but my wife was supportive - when a messenger from the very same Governor's office rushed in. The messenger, a short yet again Tatar man, bowed before the both of us before presenting an official message from Konstantiniyye. I eyed the message and the seal closely and suspiciously as I took it. The seal was that of a Pasha - I had to assume Spartak Pasha - and the contents of the message within confirmed that worm's involvement. The message was a demand from the traditionalists to return to the Balkans with the Kirim Ordusu to reinforce the Balkan Ordusu and defend Konstantiniyye. Konstantiniyye was a capital and the center of the Turkish bureaucracy, Crimea was a northern extension of The Ottoman Empire primarily populated by Turkic peoples...but not many Turkish. The traditionalists, made up of a Turkish backbone even if they were presently lead by an Albanian, favored the protections of the Turks and their interests in Konstantiniyye rather than the defenses of a large and contested province. I was livid. He wanted me to sacrifice Crimea to defend him and his friends in Konstantiniyye just because there is a possibility that the Poles and the Lithuanians will attack with their Transylvanian and Portuguese allies. I could only guess how much Spartak Pasha cared to learn about my background, but I think he knew exactly what he was doing when he demanded that I abandon the peninsula that includes my home for the city that he happens to be in. The worst part, by far, is that he laced his letter with an implicit threat to Abdullah Timur, stating that, without help from the Kirim Ordusu, it was possibly that the Sultan would die in a Polish siege. This was that coward's idea of a threat, too scared to threaten to commit to act himself but vile enough to bring it up.

"Spartak Pasha is demanding we return to Konstantiniyye, bringing the Kirim Ordusu to support the Balkan Ordusu against the Poles." I relayed to Fatimah. I watched Fatimah's expression turn into confusion and then twist into anger. The nerve of an Albanian to tell us to defend the Turks of The Ottoman Empire over the other populations, I could only imagine what Spartak Pasha intended. Perhaps he wanted to impress the senior Turkish military officials in the traditionalist faction, perhaps he fancied himself a Turk despite not being one, or perhaps he simply wanted to prove to his faction that he had power over me. I wanted to prove to the world that he had no power over me, however, the traditionalists were powerful and influential faction and they were resorting to threatening my son, the very reason why I am in power. I tried time and time again to merely dismiss this faction as a bunch of arrogant Turkish particularists but their continued meddling and their ever increasing boldness symbolizes a very real threat. They were both too powerful and too important to purge - if I purged them one by one, the others would retaliate with very real consequences, if I purged them all at once, I would plunge my Empire into chaos by ridding myself of many generals, commanders, administrators, advisers, and even territorial Governors. Given that my priority was stability and permanence for my Empire, going that far would only make things worse for my Empire. I could simply try to warn them, but if I do, they may call my bluff and plunge The Ottoman Empire into civil war exactly while we are at war against a powerful Russian enemy and a wounded but far from dead Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. We were dangerously short on options and the walls were closing in on us - two Russian armies were reigning unchecked in the northeastern provinces of The Ottoman Empire, a third was about to return to Crimea , and, on top of that, I was now being summoned back to the Balkans to fight a fourth enemy army, thus abandoning Crimea to the Russians.

"Does he want us to lose?!" Fatimah lashed out, she was just as angry as I was over this. If only we were able to get rid of Spartak Pasha a long time ago, because now, he may be too powerful and too confident to resist. He and the traditionalists may have become strong enough and widespread enough that they can control the state even if they don't have the Sultan or the Grand Vizier on their side. We were both angry about this, but it seemed that we had to do it anyway. So much for fighting for our homes, so much for saving our reputation with a key victory, so much for our grand visions for the future of The Ottoman Empire. We were now beholden to a man we considered a greedy fool and a vile opportunist. We would have to gather our troops, board our ships at Theodoro, burst through the Russian blockade, and return to Konstantiniyye. Not only was this strategically stupid, this was stupidly dangerous. I think that Spartak Pasha knew that too, in fact, I think that he would be very happy to see us both dead so he could grab power. I almost wanted to be there to see Spartak Pasha take power just to see Tsarina Anastasia tear his new dominion to pieces, taking Crimea, taking the Caucasus, giving Moldavia to Poland, and bleeding his economy dry. Spartak Pasha is not prepared for ruling over a state such as The Ottoman Empire and, no matter how large and experienced the traditionalist faction is, if he usurps us, The Ottomans are doomed and he is doomed. If anything happens to us, I can at least rest knowing that Tsarina Anastasia will prove that the traditionalists were wrong about us.

* * *

"Sultana Helena, Grand Vizier Fatimah." El Diablo greeted, the hardy Ottoman admiral was prepared to personally captain the _Kayser-i Rum_ as we left the port of Theodoro and did battle with the Russian and Portuguese ships in the Black Sea. He was an honorable man who did a valiant service to The Ottoman Empire, he is a much greater man than Spartak Pasha or any of the traditionalists. We greeted in return and told him to take us to Konstantiniyye once the last of the troops from the Kirim Ordusu boarded the ships. Green, red, white, and gold banners filled the skies with crescent moons, stars, swords, and Arabic calligraphy and they were joined with matching sails as we left the port, sailing towards an opposing armada. The Russian ships were, surprisingly, more numerous and actually larger than most of the Portuguese ships - this truly was a state of the art fleet, but a state of the art fleet fielded by inexperienced sailors - these Russian ships were topped with the black double-headed eagle on a golden banner as the Russian flag. The Russian sails matched the flag with plain black and plain gold sails and, just below the flag, was a long purple ribbon. These ribbons reminded me of those at The Battle of Tskhumi, a brilliant Roman purple as an intentional slight against my Empire and our claim to being the Third Rome.

The Portuguese ships, meanwhile, were commanded by more experienced crews but the key difference was that the Portuguese had a global Empire to manage. Their largest, best, and most modern ships were spread across the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans and these vessels in the Black Sea were older, second line ships. The Portuguese would be glad if they beat us, but this was not their war, this was revenge over taking Muscat and Bahrain. Their ships were topped with a white banner holding the red, white, blue, and gold coat of arms of Portugal while their sails were white and blue. White and blue were the colors of The Kingdom of Portugal. The stage was set for a massive naval confrontation between The Ottomans and the Russians. This battle would determine whether or not Russia was ready to become a naval power and it would determine if we were able to stand toe-to-toe with the Portuguese, one of the strongest navies in the world, even if this is the ass end of their navy. The rest of the world does not care if we beat the best or the worst of the Portuguese navy, if we beat them, the message to go around the courts of Europe will be that we crushed the navies of Portugal and Russia, Portugal would tell Europe that these were not their modern ships, but it would be too little, too late. If we win, our navy reigns supreme in the Mediterranean, if Russia wins, they get the best stage in the world to announce their rise as a naval power. If Anastasia was here, she would be delighted to see the next step in seeing Russia become a world power.

El Diablo shouted an order and our ships veered off to the left and right so that our broadside cannons were facing the Russian and Portuguese ships. Cannons trained at one another, the naval Battle of Theodoro began. Volleys were unleashed, initially with unclear results. There was smoke everywhere, explosions everywhere, and the ship shook as cannons beat it harder and harder. Not many ships were actually sunk in these battles, a sufficiently damaged ship would retreat and get out of the path of battle, either for the sole purpose of saving itself, or to save itself and ally another ship to take its place. The larger ships, pure sail vessels armed to the teeth, were superior in every way but one - we were dependent on the wind. Ottoman and Russian galleys alike tried to use their oars to outmaneuver the larger ships and open fire open them, but they had to deal with both enemy galleys and the larger ships. Galleys were highly maneuverable but they were slower and required manpower to actually move them. This severely limited how larger galleys could be and how many guns they could have. Theoretically, they could be the size of a flagship and carry just as many guns, but it would require a downright unreasonable number of sailors to actually move those ships - sailors which could be better used as marines or artillery men for our guns. Thus, galleys remained small and at this point served mostly as a tactical tool, attempting to get to a weak point of a ship and then devastating them with an unexpected blast of cannon fire.

Eventually, I started being able to see something out of the chaos. The Portuguese captains and admirals started giving orders to the Russians. The Portuguese had the experience while the Russians had the ships and, together, they were able to apply that to devastating effect. Soon enough, the Russians were timing their cannon bursts perfectly and unleashing maximum damage upon our ships, forcing more and more of our sailors to retreat. Those who could sailed out to the open expanse of the Black Sea - likely attempting to first escape and then make their way over to Konstantiniyye with as many of the troops of the Kirim Ordusu as possible. Other crews were not so lucky, effectively guided back into port by Russian galleys who were trying their hardest to ensure that no more Ottoman ships escaped to Konstantiniyye. Soon enough, the _Kayser-i Rum_ was having to blast Russian and Portuguese sailing ships on one side and galleys on the other as they tried to box us in. El Diablo was not only guiding his own ship at this stage but effectively in command of seven of the largest ships of our fleet as he knew that there was no more winning this battle at this stage. The best that we could hope for is managing to get this group of ships out to open sea and over to Konstantiniyye. He ordered two of our largest ships to veer off to the left and another two to veer off the right while the _Kayser-i Rum_ and two escort vessels went straight ahead. The plot was to break the tight Russian formations and get them to loosen their blockage in pursuit of us, ironically opening the way for us to escape.

We sprung the plan and divided up our ships, the Russians and the Portuguese fell for the bait and pursued, opening up the formation, then, the outer four ships veered back into the middle and unleashed all of their cannons at once at the central pursuing group. The Russian ships, naturally, stopped or slowed down in face of this deadly maneuver, but our ships kept going, now back in one central group. We effectively lined our ships up in a straight line so that we could all fire at once at the remaining ships on our left and right. I braced myself, holding on to the railing and Fatimah put one arm around me and the other had a death grip on the railing of the ship as the Kayser-i Rum shook itself the core, firing all of its cannons on both sides at once, tearing up the pursuant vessels. The ships on our sides veered off and let us go, the Russians had won the Battle of Theodoro but we had escaped. However, the Russians were not quite ready to give up just yet, so, before we were entirely out of the clear, their flagship fired its forward cannons high and hit the deck of our rearmost ship. I turned around to watch the deck explode into pieces, killing the captain and the ship, burning the sails, and leaving that ship stationary. A secondary barrage aimed the same place blew through the last of the deck and blew a whole into the hull itself, sicking the vessel and likely killing most of the soldiers on board alright. We wish that we could return back and recover whatever sailors and troops were left standing, but, first of all, we knew that in their armor the soldiers would not last more than a moment in the water before sinking to their tomb and that, even if we did manage to rescue a few, turning back would only lead to the Russians claiming more of our vessels.

Six large Ottoman vessels would arrive in Konstantiniyye, plus whatever ships got out earlier, and we would return with only fragments of the Kirim Ordusu. Spartak Pasha was a fool, his demand to defend our capital resulted in us losing most of our Crimean army, abandoning the peninsula itself, and only bringing a handful of troops to actually fight the battles in the Balkans. I intended to avenge my army's reputation in Crimea, instead, thanks to Spartak Pasha's demands being made out of either ignorance, incompetence, or deliberate disinterest in the fringes of his Empire, both my army and now my navy have their reputation in tatters. I won the Battle of Azov, however, all that hard work was undone by a terrible defeat at The Battle of Theodoro and that was all because of that damned snake. Now, the Russians would occupy Crimea unopposed, just like they were now occupying the northeast of my Empire unopposed, and, I have my suspicions that Spartak Pasha's actions will lead to us failing in the Balkans as well. Fatimah and I did everything we could to maximize the end of this war for The Ottoman Empire, willing to lose Crimea, Caucasia, and even Moldavia so long as we could leave with our reputation and our strength intact, but now, thanks to that one man, none of that matters, it will be a humiliating defeat. Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists value the Turkish parts of our Empire above all else, but I wonder what they would do if they found our Empire reduced to only the Turkish parts - that meant losing Mecca and Medina, that meant many of the governors amongst the traditionalists would lose their territory, and that meant that, suddenly, the traditionalists would be in power, left to watch helplessly as the Europeans and the Persians looked at the last remaining provinces of The Ottoman Empire and gobbled them all up. They are fools and because of them, we are suffering the first of many humiliating defeats. The Ottoman Empire cannot be an Empire of Turks and Turks alone, all of our people must be Ottomans first and foremost, otherwise, we are destined to lose everything. Europe is destined to dominate the world, that much is clear based on what the Spanish are doing in the Americas and what the Portuguese are doing along the Indian Ocean, their success has prompted the French, the English, and even the Dutch to begin colonizing as well. It is up for the traditionalists to decide if The Ottoman Empire is going to join Europe in dominating the world or just become another power to be dominated, because right now, it certainly feels like The Tsardom of Russia and even The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are definitely dominant over us.

* * *

"Captain Draganov! Gather your men!" I ordered the second I entered Topkapi Palace, I was on a warpath as I gave Olga the order to gather the Janissaries. Fatimah was with me step for step as we headed for one final stop before going to confront Spartak Pasha directly. We marched through the palace and entered the nursery, finding Xanthippi watching over little Abdullah Timur as played at the other end of the room. My little child was finally waddling around regularly like a child should be, playing with blocks and finally putting to rest any thoughts that something was wrong with him. He was the perfect little child and he would rule The Ottoman Empire one day, but it was Fatimah and I's job to make sure that there was still an Ottoman Empire for him to rule once he came of age. I knew exactly what I was going to do when Fatimah and I faced the traditionalists "Hello Xanthippi, prepare the Sultan. I need him in the finest robes he has with a crown on his head and I need it as soon as you can manage. It is time that everyone remembers who is truly in charge of The Ottoman Empire."

"Of course, my Sultana." Xanthippi bowed and picked up my child, getting to work immediately, meanwhile, Fatimah and I rushed to our quarters. Abdullah Timur was going to look the part and it is time that we follow his example. I put on a green and gold dress with fine jewelry and a crown on my head - the same crown I wore when I took my place next to Suleiman III as his husband. This outfit was deliberately designed to remind everyone of that. Suleiman III, the undisputed Turkish Sultan before me, took me as his wife and I gave birth his child, the Turkish Abdullah Timur, who they accept as the current Sultan. I am a natural choice for regent because of this, the traditionalists are merely power-hungry and, whether they realized it or not, removing me as regent means trading a European who at least has a blood connection to the Sultan as regent for Spartak Pasha, a European with no connection whatsoever to The Ottoman Dynasty.

Fatimah, meanwhile, was in a black and golden robe with green, silver, and red trim, the robe was topped with a headscarf that covered her entire face other than her eyes. This was a far more conservative outfit than she normally wore but the robes were a reminder of what Grand Viziers typically wore and the head covering would appease some of the traditionalists who opposed her primarily on religious grounds. We had one last chance to redeem the Ottoman military in this war and I needed to make sure that the traditionalists would not meddle in my affairs while I did everything I could to salvage as much as possible from this conflict. Fatimah and I could see the big picture, something which these Turks either didn't see or didn't want to see.

I sat down in the throne with Fatimah at my side while Olga had the Janissary round up every traditionalist I knew about and several they have uncovered on their own from their own investigating. Apparently, based on what Olga has found, the traditionalists are funded by the wealthy governor of Cyprus, a Turk installed by Ibrahim Pasha during my husband's reign. Other notable members include the governor of Tripolitania in North Africa and Mirza Ali Pasha, a half Turkish, half Egyptian administrator of the Red Sea coast of Egypt. Both the governor and Mirza Ali Pasha are far from Konstantiniyye and out of my Janissaries grasp. The traditionalists are widespread and dangerous, but we have not yet discovered whether or not they were behind or even involved in the Levantine coup. Nevertheless, following the implicit threat to Abdullah Timur, it is clear that, whether or not the traditionalists were willing to murder back then, they certainly are now. Those traditionalists outside of the city were beyond my current reach, but those who were in Konstantiniyye were all brought to me in the throne room, the very same throne room were I announced my rule and then chose Fatimah as my Grand Vizier. Once everyone was in attendance, a grand procession brought Abdullah Timur in, all of his titles were listed off by a Sunni Cleric before I began speaking. It was time to assert my authority over these damned Turcophiles.

"This is Abdullah Timur, your Sultan, your Lord, your religious and spiritual guide. He is the flesh and blood descendant of each and every Ottoman Sultan who reigned before him and I am his mother. I am the only one here who is both willing to rule and has a blood connection to The Ottoman Dynasty. I rule The Ottoman Empire, I control The Ottoman Army, and I control all of you. Until Abdullah Timur reaches maturity, I am your Sultana, I am your Caliph, and I am the Kayser-i Rum. Do not question me, do not oppose me, and do not dare give me orders." I spoke with deadly seriousness, I was livid with these traditionalists and I was here to tell them that I knew exactly who they were and to remind them that they had no right to rule. I watched as some of them squirmed, as watched as others tried to feign innocence, and I watched as Spartak Pasha narrowed his eyes. The snake was angry to see that I was asserting my authority and even more angry to see that, at least with some of his supports, it was working. I smiled as Fatimah took a step forward, it was her time to shine.

"Sultana-regent Helena, ruler of The Ottoman Empire, named me her Grand Vizier. I outrank all of you, I am second only to Sultan of The Ottoman Empire. In our treaties with The Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Lord of Austria himself admitted that The Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire is equal to The Holy Roman Emperor. My authority is not to be questioned, not by a general, not by a governor, and certainly not by a glorified Balkan clerk. Sultana Helena are out there fighting a war to preserve The Ottoman Empire, there will be no further disturbances, no further demands, and no further threats." Fatimah was even more intimidating than I was, all these men could see of her were her eyes and those brown orbs were filled with utter hatred, especially for the glorified Balkan clerk. I suspected that line alone would have a number of governors and generals wondering why they choose to be subservient to Spartak Pasha in this faction, blessing of Ibrahim Pasha or not. "Janissaries! Escort these men back to their posts, we all have our duties to attend to."

With that, the Janissaries roughly grabbed the traditionalists and escorted them back to their offices. This had better be enough to remind everyone who is in charge. Only when they were all guided away did I have the procession return to take Abdullah Timur back to Xanthippi. Fatimah and I took one last look at my - our - child before turning back to the war, the Balkan Ordusu and the remains of the Kirim Ordusu were waiting for us.

* * *

So this has been the longest Ottoman chapter in awhile and I hope you guys enjoyed.


	26. Relics of The Byzantine Empire

Okie dokie everyone, here we are with chapter twenty-six. This is a Russia chapter and it will cover the Siege of Trabzon. We're getting to the end of act two now and I hope you guys are enjoying this story. I'm not sure if I've definitively mentioned this yet or not, but this story will be forty chapters long.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXVI.

Relics of The Byzantine Empire.

* * *

Yelizaveta and I joined General Mikhailovich and Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani on a ridge as our troops gathered around Trabzon. Georgia had been recovered, Erivan had fallen, and the Ottoman Army was crushed in battle, now, it was time to make our final push to end this war. Our Army of the Ukraine will occupy Crimea, the Polish Armia z Besarabia will crush Moldavia, and our two armies will leave Trabzon, Tabriz, and Baghdad in ruins. The Russian Imperial Army, hardened by our conquests in Byelorussia and Ruthenia along with our campaign through the Caucasus and the Army of the Caucasus, under the watchful eye of General Feodorov with the blood of Baku on their hands, together, these two armies will march unopposed across the northeastern corner of The Ottoman Empire. Trabzon was my first target, I would take the city and solidify Russia's claim to the Third Rome by taking the relics of the Komnenos dynasty from their final resting place in the former rump-state of Trebizond. The Army of the Caucasus, meanwhile, would begin the Siege of Tabriz, a siege of the former Qara Qoyunlu fortress in difficult terrain is likely to drag out for a long time, therefore, I suspect that, before the siege is over, the Russian Imperial Army will join them. Finally, the two armies, united, will march on Baghdad and take the great city which had once been the center of Islamic civilization under the Abbasid dynasty. Should the Turks wish to defy sense and keep fighting at this point, I am prepared for the possibility that I will have to march my armies as far away as Damascus and perhaps into Anatolia as well. I am confident that Sultana Helena will see reason long before that though, provided she stays in power as I intend her to.

Fuses were lit and anticipation builds. Flames burn down, down, down the fuse into the cannon itself. A single moment of silence, both impossibly short and agonizingly long before thunderous blasts of cannons fire bring the battle to life. The cannonballs were almost impossible to track as they flew through the sky and impacted the walls with a devastating explosion and a bone-shaking blast, but each and every one of them hit. Once again, we were in the midst of siege warfare, but the Siege of Trabzon would not be nearly as short as the Siege of Yerevan. In Yerevan, we had Yasamin's inside knowledge on our side and the Turks decided to sacrifice the city in order to give Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier the chance to escape, now, we would have no such luck.

"Tsarina Anastasia, Tsarevna Yelizaveta," Yasamin greeted warmly with a nod. She was dressed pretty similarly to how I last saw her, wearing black knee high boots, white trousers, and a blue tunic, though this time she was wearing a black headscarf that nicely framed her face. Yasamin was a Shia Muslim and she intended to create a Shia Persian state in southern India, I was supportive of this idea, however, it was quite foreign to Russia. There were plenty of Sunni Islamic populations in Russia, scattered across the steppe, but those were minority populations of lingering Turkic and Mongol horsemen for the most part. Russia was on track to getting somewhat of a Shia population thanks to our conquests of Caucasia which would bring us Baku, but even then, we will have far more Sunni Muslims than Shia Muslims and far more non-Muslims than either of them, this presented me with a problem.

Somewhat paradoxically, to further the interests of the Russian state, I need to support an Islamic state abroad while simultaneously pressuring Russia's Muslims to convert to Orthodox Christianity. This is not born out of something irrational like hatred, this is born out of control and absolutism. The Russian Orthodox Church is heavily under the influence of the Tsardom, therefore, the Church justifies my rule. The steppe is a massive region of Russia that I want to get under control, therefore, in order to help me do so, I want to use the Church. The Sunni Turkic minority spread across the steppe does not follow my Church, therefore, in order to further my interests, I need to get these steppe peoples to become Russian Orthodox. Resisting my rule was bad enough, however, another potential threat is that the Ottoman Sultan is also Caliph of Sunni Muslims, all Sunni Muslims, therefore, the Turks may be able to use that religious bond to raise revolts in southern Russia. Settlement and conversion of southern Russia is one of my priorities in peacetime and the Russian Orthodox Church will play a massive role in all that, but, since my concern is with control rather than religion, that does not mean that Muslims cannot prove useful to me.

Muslims, even Sunni ones, in Moscow would be useful to me. My authority is unquestionable in Moscow, it is the heart of modern Russia and the vast majority of the population is Russian and Russian Orthodox, therefore, if I want to bring Muslim administrators into my court, I will do so. War on Muslims is not in the interests of Russia, controlling the steppe and making my government and bureaucracy as strong and centralized as possible is in Russia's interests. An ally in India would also be beneficial to me. A new Bahmanid Sultanate with ties to Russia would not only give us a link to the Indian Ocean trade network which is otherwise so distant and so out of reach for my state and, perhaps more importantly, it would deny my enemies a section of India. The colonial powers of Portugal, England, and the Netherlands clearly wish to divide up the coast of India amongst themselves and they would be able to do it long before Russia has any hope of reaching India naturally, therefore, having a local ally with Russian backing can serve to deny portions of the coast and interior from my potential enemies in Europe. Therefore, I am both supporting the Bahmanid Sultanate and pursue my conversion of southern Russia.

"Hello Yasamin, General Mikhailovich." I greeted in reply while Yelizaveta shot the Persian with a warm smile and gave the general a reserved nod. The general, dressed in a green uniform and now wearing a rather bushy black mustache with a shaved beard, reciprocated the Tsarevna's nod before turning to me. Mikhailovich was a strange case. He seemed very willing to question me and seemed bothered by the fact that I was even on the battlefield, however, on the other hand, Mikhailovich did agree to help me become a better general and was not willing to actually oppose me. The general was clearly opinionated, perhaps more than he should have been. To be honest, from the outside looking in, I would have assumed that Perevernykruchenko would be the one to oppose me most. After all, the man was an unashamed Cossack, wearing his beard all the way out and leading literal hordes of wild horsemen across the Crimean steppe, however, Perevernykruchenko was oddly enough the most friendly of the generals. The Cossack had taken to the Muscovite nobility well. I suppose that made sense, after all, a good percentage of the Muscovite nobility are Dvoryans, a class of Russian nobles who are supposed to be military men, however, things hardly worked out that way. The Russian nobles had classes and nominal roles, but, in reality, that vast majority of them were sheltered, privileged, and incompetent, I preferred to work with people who actually have the talent necessary to serve me. Perevernykruchenko is one of those people and, given how well he meshes with the nobles, perhaps this isn't an unpopular stance after all. In any case, Mikhailovich was a bit of an outcast for his positions but he is serving Russia well and he has a lot to teach me.

"I must say, I was a bit skeptical to be joined by another woman, an outsider from Persia no less, but she seems to know what she is doing. Though I question if our state resources are going to the right place with her. After all, we have plenty of our own new regions to invest in." Mikhailovich objected. In some ways, he did have a point. Between my new White Square, my ambitions for southern Russia, and the new regions I was adding to the Tsardom of Russia at an unprecedented rate, I could definitely see how some people might think I am stretching Russian resources to their limit. The reality is that we are working with an excellent surplus courtesy of the vast value we recovered from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the last war and, as part of my absolutist agenda, I intend to produce a tax system that is both ruthless and efficient. I already made sure that the nobles, Dvoryans and Boyars alike, are being taxed heavily with the excuse of war against the Turks. My next move will be to free the tax collectors of the nobility altogether. I want tax collecting done by bureaucrats and I do not want a single noble getting the chance to take a cut of my state's product for themselves. The final stage is one that will overlap with a number of my other absolutist intentions. That is the establishment of a secret police force, a versatile and terrifying force with one of their duties being to ensure my taxes are properly collected.

A secret police will be an excellent tool for an absolutist state. This particular experiment has been one that Russia has committed in the past with the oprichnina, an organization that is still nominally supposed to be my secret police. Some are, of course, however, for the most part, just like the nobles, power has made the oprichniks lazy and greedy in the last century. Now the oprichniks are essentially the nobles occupying the lands that once belonged to the Grand Republic of Novgorod, a state that was once a major rival for the Grand Principality of Muscovy. I could start fresh with a new oprichnina or perhaps even just a revitalized one and that idea has indeed crossed my mind, however, I am also considering starting fresh entirely. I still wasn't sure though, perhaps a solution would present itself once the war against the Turks was over, for now, I was busy focusing on that. Within the war, I was focused on the present Siege of Trabzon. The Siege began well, but that beginning only gave an opportunity for my very own general to feel confident enough to question the administration of the state. Now, I knew how Mikhailovich was, but it was one thing for a general to question me militarily, but for a general to question me on running the state? That was above his station. I was the Tsarina of Russia and he was a general, it was his job to lead the troops and it was my job to lead the nation. My job allows me to cross over into leading troops if it is in the best interests of Russia, his job does not allow for that much flexibility. Mikhailovich must learn his place.

"I can assure you, general, that I am more than aware of the resources of my state. Yelizaveta is more than aware of the resources of the state as well because she is my protege and heiress. Yasamin comes from a long line of Persian administrators and, going back just a century, her ancestors were mighty Sultans in southern India. So, by my estimations, you're the least qualified one here when it comes to administration. I respect you as a general and I wish to learn from you, the least you could do in return is respect me as an administrator." I countered and General Mikhailovich huffed before turning away. The general did not apologize or back down from his comments, but he did not argue further, so I suppose that was somewhat of a victory. It seems that General Mikhailovich can be quite petty when he wants to be. I suppose that I should have expected that, given that my first exposure to him was seeing him bickering with General Feodorov. Though given that Feodorov was bickering with Perevernykruchenko by the end of that very meeting, perhaps the problem is with Simeon rather than either Dmitri or Vladimir. Perhaps it is better now that Simeon is off leading the Army of the Caucasus out to the east rather than joined with another general like he was with Perevernykruchenko in the Ukraine. It is clear that all of my generals are arrogant and self-centered, however, so long as they do not overstep their boundaries again, I will tolerate it. After all, I do not want to go into my later wars against Sweden with inexperienced generals. In the meantime, perhaps I should find some commanders with potential and give them the chance to prove themselves as generals against the Hordes...that could prove interesting.

General Mikhailovich had his own ideas but I hope this warning will be enough to keep him from questioning me, after all, I don't want to lose a good general who could prove to be a great teacher just because he couldn't keep his mouth shut and his opinions to himself. I am certain that I am on the right path - I have created a powerful ally and a useful buffer state in the form of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and my time with Krystyna Wlodzislawa ensures that the relationship will soon become permanent - as well as giving me a powerful weapon with which to spread Russian influence. Meanwhile, I have also gained the accomplished daughter of Portugal's ambassador to Transylvania in the form of Terezia, who now, as my regent in Moscow, is doing far more than she could ever hope to accomplish as a diplomat from the Kingdom of Portugal to a landlocked, distant country that really has nothing to do with Portuguese politics. The best Terezia could have hoped for is organizing a marriage between some Portuguese Prince and a Transylvanian heiress, now, she has broad powers over Russia and she is using them well. Now, all I plan to do is add Yasamin to the mix. She will use Russia to gather her forces and her government, helping Russia in the meantime, and, once she is ready, she will establish an allied state in a place where Russia has no busy interfering in. I am ensuring that the resources of my state are being used to spread our influence and our borders as far and as wide as possible, sure spreading influence to places like Naples and Hyderabad are not necessarily what one thinks of as potential targets for Russia, but I am making them targets for Russian influence. I have broadened Russia's horizons far, far beyond what any Tsar has before me and a simple-minded general like Mikhailovich cannot see that because he does not have the divine right to rule. Mikhailovich does not understand how to rule because he is fundamentally not meant to rule.

I am meant to rule, Yelizaveta is meant to rule, and, despite our religious differences, I feel that Yasamin is indeed meant to rule over much of southern India. I am eager to see how a Shia absolutist state under a female ruler takes shape. It certainly seems like quite an undertaking, but if anyone can handle it, I am confident that Yasamin can do it. She has likely spent her whole life preparing for this. Learning, watching, waiting, and reach out, and now, she has found her patron.

* * *

I sat on the cot in our tent already in my nightgown as I averted my eyes. Yelizaveta had just come in and shut the tent, now she was changing - my own flesh and blood little sister was stripping in front of me and I could barely control myself - I couldn't help but feel like a monster. I suppose that I should have expected this, every ruler has their particular bit of sin. Some Kings are greedy, gluttonous drunkards who drown in excess and allow incompetent nobles to march away with the reigns of the state, some rulers will fill their palaces with bastards and lay the foundation for a succession crisis after their own rule, other rulers, including a select group of my own ancestors, suffer bloodlust - they are so filled with anger and hatred that they revel in torture, in pillaging, and in murder. Meanwhile, I wanted to take my own sister in every sense of the word. Of course, this already came after Liz and I saddled poor Sophie with producing our own heirs as a selfish consequence of our homosexuality. Sofiya is straight, that much is clear, but it is also clear that she never expected to be the only one giving birth in this family.

So this was the result of my absolutism. I could have the finest palace in all of Europe in the heart of a shining new district of Moscow, I could have puppet states spreading my influence far beyond my borders, and I could assemble a court of the finest men and women from around the world within the walls of that palace, but I couldn't have the one person I actually wanted. I had Krystyna at one point, but even then, that relationship was never what I truly wanted. I loved Krystyna, I did, but only when our relationship was at its peak did I manage to get Yelizaveta out of my head and, even then, the second that Lady Krystyna was gone, horrible thoughts about my own little sister flooded back into my head. Not to mention that the relationship between Krystyna and I was cursed from the start. The whole reason she was there in Moscow for me to fall in love with was because I took her to Moscow to train her to become a loyal King of Poland for the Tsardom of Russia. Even if she made me completely forget about those damned incestuous feelings, she would eventually have to leave and, at that point, we would only be able to meet occasionally, briefly, and rarely, if ever, alone. Then, of course, there was the fact that as Tsarina of Russia I was concerned with furthering the interests of Russia, that meant that I had to subjugate Poland and any other state she created as much as possible, bringing those states into Russia in all but name, needless to say, that was not in the best interests of Krystyna if she was to be King of Poland, Grand Duchess of Lithuania, and whatever other titles she may create in her journeys.

A relationship with Krystyna would be so difficult. Who else was there? There was Yasamin, who was definitely beautiful and who I think would be rather eager to enter a relationship with me if given the chance, but she wasn't really my type. Beautiful? Yes, attractive? Yes, what I wanted? No. Not to mention that the issues present with Krystyna were also present with Yasamin and perhaps even worse. Yasamin approached me with the express purpose of creating her Bahmanid Sultanate while I approached Krystyna myself, capitalizing on her situation and her talents. Yasamin was going to go as soon as she was ready and there was no chance she would stay even if I was willing to ask her to, then, she would go to her capital in southern India, a place far further from Moscow than Warsaw was. Yasamin was out and rather convincingly so. I suppose Terezia was possible, but that just felt wrong. She wasn't my type either, though, admittedly, she was closer to what I wanted than Yasamin was. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Yelizaveta by taking Terezia away from her when I didn't really want the Hungarian woman to begin with and would only be taking her to escape my feelings for Liz. I couldn't be with Krystyna, I couldn't be with Yasamin, I couldn't be with Terezia, but Yelizaveta was right there. Her long and beautiful legs were endless as I followed the up from her bare feet, across her flawless calves to her healthy knees, up across her delicious thighs to the hem of that off-white nightgown that was teasing me so. I saw the little sleep dress just barely covering up her tight figure and I saw her tempting breasts kept away from me by only a few feet of distance and a pair of easily discarded garments. I could practically see myself marking Liz as mine when I scanned her smooth pale neck, just waiting to be bit by her own big sister's teeth. Finally, I meant those identical blue eyes. The same eyes that I wore, the eyes that meant that we were, undeniably, sisters. She flashed me an open mouthed grin before coming over to the cot and laying down next to me, only drowning me in more temptation.

My little sister's arms wrapped around my waist and her long bare legs rubbed against mine. My arms were practically automatic as they came up and wrapped themselves around Yelizaveta. I felt desire twisting me to my very core, I felt myself start to shake as my body demanded more and more of what I simply could not have, and I felt my teeth chatter as I was reminded of that kiss Yelizaveta and I shared - the one we never should have had. That kiss should have meant the last bit of inappropriate action we ever shared, the end of our feelings as I pursued Krystyna and she pursued Terezia, but now...now that kiss was just a reminder of what was so very close. All I would have to do is lean my head in and we would be kissing again. The distance was impossibly short but it was made impossibly long by the fact that kissing her would mean an undeniable incestuous action provoked by a sinful, unholy desire. I locked eyes with Yelizaveta and saw the same battle going on in her. the same battle between her sexual desire and her position as my sister.

I couldn't bare the see my little sister like that and I knew that I was doing absolutely the wrong thing - I knew that my actions would send us down a road that would destroy our relationship as sisters and either leave us forever apart or leave us consumed by our own sinful desire - I made a decision I never would have made if I wasn't downright delirious with desire. Wordlessly, I repositioned my legs and positioned my left thigh between Yelizaveta's legs. Her face lit up with a silent question and I simply nodded in reply. I watched as she bit her lip and her body started moving. A moment later I felt damp, radiant heat against my thigh. I then felt the source of that unrestricted desire begin rubbing itself against my thigh. Yes, that is right, it isn't us, it is our bodies, I could be distant, I could pretend this wasn't a conscious and mutual decision. The question is...did I want to think of this that way?

As I watched my little sister, the most beautiful woman I have ever see, completely and utterly in a sexual act, I didn't want to be distant. I kept one arm around Yelizaveta but I slid the other hand below the blanket around us and into the darkness where unspeakable events her occurring. Yelizaveta's core was riding my thigh on its way to climax and I found its twin between my legs. For the first time since this war began I felt my own fingers touching myself and I instantly felt the moist tightness overcome with desire. Within moments I was in lock-step with Yelizaveta as blue eyes looked into blue eyes. Sister looked into sister as we both realized what was about to happen. I saw a drop of blood on Liz's lips as she bit down as hard as she could to silence herself and I knew that I had to do something else to silence her screams of pleasure before she either hurt herself or unwittingly announced our sin to the entire camp. My lips crashed against hers as my desire exploded against my hand and hers against my leg. I heard her muffled scream fill my mouth and I knew she was feeling the same thing. The scream subsided and her eyes fluttered shut as she shook with pleasure in the aftershocks of orgasm. I lost a moment somewhere in there when my body was overcome with stimulus and my eyes watered over. I released my tears and I released my sister's lips as we both drifted off to effortless sleep. We both knew that we sinned and that we would have to talk about eventually, but neither of us cared. We were absolutely on cloud nine and, that night, the two of us slept better on a cot than we ever had on a real bed. Such a perfect rest from such an imperfect action.

* * *

I woke up with my arms around an angel.

So much of her flawless ivory skin was exposed as the light from outside filled the tent. My eyes trailed up from her gentle, light feet across her long, feminine legs. I blushed as my eyes came across the hem of her nightgown and I remembered last night's sin. We did not necessarily have sex, but we came as close as possible to that line without undeniably breaking it...I don't care what it's called, I shouldn't know what my sister's most intimate areas feel like against my body. I shook those thoughts away as my eyes threatened to fill with tears. Her nightgown hung off her right hip, falling against her figure as it sloped inwards for her miniature yet healthy waist before sloping back outwards for her chest. I did not dare look at her breasts because I know that doing so would only lead me to a sinful reprise of last night's events. My eyes devoured her neck once again as I thought about how easily I could bite her neck now and announce to the world that she was mine - and I couldn't help but think of the mess such an event would cause. I would be pulled off the throne with Yelizaveta behind me and, if she was lucky, Sofiya would be left with a throne that she never wanted, if she were unlucky, Sophie too would be dragged down for a sin she had nothing to do with...how would Sophie ever even look at us again if she found out what her two sisters did to each other?

My eyes were drawn to her lips next, the lips which I kissed so sinfully last night just before my sister and I were consumed by mutual orgasm. There was a little dark red scar left over on the otherwise evenly pink surface of her bottom lip left over from last night when she tried to stifle herself, but, if anything, that scar only made her lips more desirable. I suppose it was a bit of a mark of my work, it is there because of the effect I had on her last night when we were...dry humping I guess? And the reason it isn't worse than it is because I kissed her. That scar told the story of exactly what I did to her but only I would know...and I found that both terrifying and incredibly pleasing. I was a woman of two halves right now, I was part Tsarina of Russia and loving sister and I was part incestuous freak...the worst part is, despite a perfectly happy relationship with Terezia, now Yelizaveta is undeniably an incestuous freak as well. Tears flowed from my eyes but I did not dare sob - sobbing would only wake Liz up and make the two of us confront our actions - instead, I just looked at those lips again and saw them arranged in a blissful smile. How could the same event leave her smiling in heavenly delight while I cry in hellish sin?

Then, something changed and my eyes darted up to meet that pair of blue eyes. I watched as Liz realized I was crying and her expression immediately changed to a concerned frown. With one hand, she reached up and wiped away half my tears before tucking my hair behind my ear, next, she leaned in and kissed my other tears away one by one. I knew that I should have recoiled or cried more as we were once again on a path towards further unspeakable acts, but I couldn't. I was too weak to deny how good it felt and how comforting it was...how comforting Yelizaveta was.

"Why are you crying my love?" she whispered softly. I looked at her questioningly.

"How could you possibly call me that? I'm your sister..." I objected but I doubted it would do any good. I have stated that it is wrong and that it is sinful countless times but it has not stopped us. Realistically, we knew a night after what happened in Minsk that continuing to sleep together did nothing to temper this desire, in fact, it had the opposite effect - the desire grew and grew and grew - yet, here we were, still sharing the same cot in the same tent despite the fact that we obviously could provide another tent for Yelizaveta. I barely even argued against bringing Liz here, luring her far away from her healthy relationship with her girlfriend and into my arms. All of that came to a climax last night just as the two of us did. Lady Krystyna couldn't kill these feelings, Terezia couldn't kill these feelings, and we barely even tried. Now, I wondered if they could every go away. Would I ever forget how quickly I drove myself to climax just by being in intimate contact with Yelizaveta? Would Liz ever forget how my skin felt against her most sacred place? Would the two of us ever stop yearning for more? This had to end now, going any further would only lead us down a self-destructive path, hell, it was probably already far too late, but we had to do something. There was no way we could just go on living with these feelings. We had to bury them so deep they'll never be able to hurt us again.

"Nastya..." Liz begged me to listen with that lovely diminutive of my name that I always loved hearing coming from her lips. Despite my better judgement, I succumbed ans I listened. I suppose a not-so-secret part of me wanted nothing more than to see this relationship go all the way and beyond, but that part of me had no business in this world and certainly not anywhere near my little sister "I love you, I always have. You're my favorite sister, you're my confidant, and, whether you want to admit it or not, after last night, you're my lover too. I know it's sinful, I know we'll have to keep it a secret from everyone, even Sofiya and mom, and I know we'll lose everything if we're ever caught, but I'm willing to take that risk for you. You're the smartest, most beautiful, most intelligent person I know and I am absolutely head over heels in love with you and I don't care in the slightest that you're my older sister. We could be twins and I wouldn't give a damn. I love you and I want to be with you. That night in Minsk made me more sure of my sexuality than any book or servant girl ever could. That night was magical, last night was magical, and I can't wait to spend many, many more magical nights with you. Russia is yours, Caucasia is yours, now just say the word and I'll be yours. And don't you dare deny yourself Anastasia because I know you want me and I know that you always get what you want!"

"...What about Terezia?" I meekly objected. More and more of me wanted to just agree and kiss Yelizaveta until my lips fell off, but I knew that I couldn't. I had the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms asking me to be with her and I can't even get over the fact that we're sisters.

"What about Terezia?" Liz replied with a surprising coldness, I widened my eyes as she explained "Anastasia...Terezia doesn't hold a candle to you. It shattered my heart when I saw you and Krystyna so happy together and I tried to love Terezia, I really did. She's sweet, she's intelligent, and she's so hard-working. I respect her, I enjoy her company, and I think she is an excellent friend, but I cannot even compare her to you. Every kiss she and I had paled in comparison to that goodbye kiss you and I shared. Your kiss dwarfs everything I've experienced. That kiss with the servant girl made me realize I was a lesbian and I could forget about it completely after that kiss we shared last night. If I could go back in time and act with the knowledge that I have now, I would never have kissed that servant girl - I want that night in Minsk to be when I realized my sexuality and I want that kiss at Kolomenskoye to be my first kiss. So no, Terezia is not an issue. She and I never even made love despite the fact that she clearly wanted to. Just say the word and I'll forget everything about Terezia by the end of the week."

"What happened to the shy little girl who had her nose stuffed in a book?" I asked her, completely shocked and mesmerized by all that she was telling me. Somehow, I felt guilty that I had sex with Krystyna all those times. I felt like I cheated on Yelizaveta...how is it possible that I had sex with a woman that I loved and now I couldn't help but think that doing so was cheating on my little sister? What is wrong with me?

"I learned from you Anastasia. You're the perfect monarch. You're smart, you're cunning, and you have assembled a group of powerful people all around you. You won't tolerate anyone questioning you as you demonstrated with General Mikhailovich yesterday and, like I said, you always get what you want. You wanted Byelorussia and the Ukraine, so you took it all, you wanted Crimea and Caucasia so we're taking it, you wanted The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth so Lady Krystyna is leading their armies for you. You always get what you want and you want me. So, before you spend the rest of our lives mumbling some nonsense about sin when you essentially control our Church, I'm going to take what I want. The sooner you stop fighting this the sooner we both can be happy." I stared into Yelizaveta's eyes and saw complete and utter devotion. I was her world. I was the one who told her it was okay to be a lesbian, I was the one who let her come along with me to wars and finally see the world from beyond the sheltered walls of Kolomenskoye and the Kremlin, and, as horrible as it is to say, I am basically the one to take her virginity even if it wasn't exactly blatant, unapologetic sex. She wasn't in love with me_ in spite_ of being of her sister, she was in love with me _because_ I was her sister. It was so wrong, it was so perverted, but, unfortunately for the both of us, it was so real.

"W...we can't..." I coughed out as I was overcome with tears. I didn't have any argument to fight her with anymore, everything I offered was either irrelevant or she didn't care about it anyway. There was no way to fight the fact that we were freaks and I couldn't help but cry and feel helpless. Yelizaveta was right and wrong about me getting anything I wanted. I could have land and she made it very clear that I could have her, but what I wanted at this point was a return to a normal life and, after all that has happened between Liz and I, there was no way that we were going to have that anymore.

"Fine, keep lying to yourself." Yelizaveta got out of the cot with a huff and threw her nightgown away, she angrily and quickly got dressed before turning back to me "Just know that once you're done coming up with excuses and you're ready to be happy again, I'll be there waiting for you, even if you decide to tear through every woman between here and Yekaterinburg before finally settling on the one you really love. I love you Anastasia." Yelizaveta announced before marching out of the tent. I wept alone and in silence as I wondered how I could be the one in the wrong here? I never imagined that I could feel like such a vile, disgusting person for _refusing _an incestuous relationship, yet here I was, wallowing in pity because my sister and I wanted to be with each other so bad but I couldn't get over the fact that it seemed so impossible and so forbidden.

* * *

I found General Mikhailovich sat on a rock reading from a book about the last days of The Byzantine Empire. I was admittedly more concerned about what was going on with Yelizaveta, but I had to admit, I was somewhat interested in seeing the general in a slightly different light. It was hard to maintain a professional relationship with the man when all I knew about him was that he was a very experienced general and that his political positions left him rather ostracized. Perhaps getting to know him would improve our professional relationship and make him look at my political side in a more positive light. Yesterday, I shut him down after questioning my administration, but there is a big difference between silencing someone and actually changing their views.

"General," I greeted as I sat down backwards on a log by the extinguished campfire to face him. This particular area was a circular grouping of tents belonging to our generals, commanders, and other high ranking staff. The tent that Liz and I shared was at the end of the circle while Yasamin's tent, a later addition, was somewhat disconnected and located next to her carriage. The rest of our troops were spread out throughout the area surrounding Trabzon. The two camps adjacent to this one contained Muscovite infantry, ready to rush in here in a moment's notice should the situation call for it. Trabzon was the Turkish name for the place, but I think I preferred to call it Trebizond, the name of the Byzantine fortress and the source of the Turkish name. I am sure that Sultana Helena and the Turks would refer to this place as Trabzon all they like, but after The Battle of Tskhumi and The Siege of Yerevan, I didn't really care what Sultana Helena thought about the fringes of her Empire. I knew that it would all be stripped away piece by piece.

"Tsarina Anastasia." He nodded, his voice was respectful and maybe a touch apologetic, not that the general would ever actually voice an apology for his behavior yesterday. I figured that it was a pride thing - he knew he was in the wrong but he had too much pride to actually voice that - and I just rolled my eyes at that childish antic. The absolutist within me wanted to be mad at the general for showing pride, but I figured that breaking him and forcing him to grovel before me wasn't exactly going to make the general inclined to open up to me.

"I didn't take you for a historian general, keen to learn about my ancestors?" I teased, letting him know that I wasn't harboring a grudge over what happened last night. I was an absolutist ruler and I claimed the divine right of Kings, but I didn't want to embrace the whole megalomaniac routine some absolutists portrayed. I thought that it would only alienate useful people who could become bureaucrats and puppets, not to mention that I thought the whole routine reeked of insanity. No, I preferred to show my authority when necessary and be myself when I could afford to do so. I gave Dmitri a stern warning yesterday and he seemed to be taking it, even if he wasn't actually going so far as to admit it, there was no need to bring the hammer down on him again. Perhaps once I put my plan to have generals build experience against the Hordes I could put such a plan into action, but for now, I wasn't going to punish one of my top generals for what is, essentially, a minor disagreement over running my country. Even if he did go way beyond his station in questioning me.

"Your ancestors?" he asked, seemingly somewhat more relieved that this conversation was much more casual and mirthful than the last one we shared. He did seem to be a bit amused by me casually addressing the Byzantine Emperors as my ancestors, though, it was a valid point, I was indeed descended from many of the final Byzantine Emperors and, considering the practice of royal marriages and the rather limited number of royals, I'm sure going back I have some somewhat distant links to many of the earlier, more famous dynasties who reigned in Constantinople.

"Yes, The House Rurikovich had an extensive history marrying with Princesses from the Palaiologos and Komnenos dynasties." I explained. The Komnenos reigned in Constantinople first but, through their rump state based right here in Trebizond, the Komnenos actually managed to reign for somewhat longer than the Palaiologos in Constantinople who fell to the Turks in 1453. Though soon enough, Trebizond too fell, absorbed into The Ottoman Empire as nothing but Trabzon, an old fortress protecting Anatolia from any assaults from Georgia or any other Caucasian power. Eventually, the final Byzantine state left was the Principality of Theodoro and, not too long ago, it fell too, with a certain Helena of Gothia being the most notable survivor. The fall of Constantinople, the fall of Trebizond, and the fall of Theodoro only strengthened Russia's claim to the Third Rome. We were the continuation of the Orthodox superpower to the east of Europe. The fact that we were by far the largest and strongest of the few remaining sovereign Orthodox states certainly did not hurt my case either.

"Ah yes...though I didn't think you royals would be so quick to think of your extended family. After all, you'll quickly find any potential husbands sharing many of the same ancestors." Mikhailovich replied, I took away two things from his comment. The first of which was that he expected me to get married - this was good, I wasn't going to, obviously, but the excuse of remaining unmarried to guarantee my own power as an absolutist monarch would only work so long as no one got the idea that I was homosexual. Once the nobles realized that I wasn't straight, they would demand that I get married to a foreign Prince, likely one of their choosing that they thought they could control, and if I refused, they would probably attempt to remove me off the throne with a religious justification. No, my sexuality was going to remain a secret, especially as Yelizaveta has seemingly fully embraced these incestuous feelings. Speaking of incest, it seems that Mikhailovich is dismissing royalty as incestuous altogether, though at very least he wasn't feeling quite as bold as he was yesterday.

"Well hold on there for a minute - I claim the divine right to rule, yes?" I asked, I suppose this is as close as I'll ever get to asking for advice on these monstrous feelings but I wasn't exactly going to be blatant about what I was asking Mikhailovich, especially because I never figured I would be asking the cold general for relationship advice. He didn't know where I was going with this but the expression on his face betrayed his suspicion, I raised an eyebrow and he wiped that expression off his face. He thought about it for a moment before sighing.

"Yes, my Tsarina, you do indeed claim that divine right." General Mikhailovich answered, being sure to answer the question in the most impersonal way possible, he did not want to say that I had the divine right to rule but, especially after yesterday, he did not dare say anything that would offend me. He was learning his place, a bit later than the other generals did, but I think he was starting to get it. In any case, he did admit it, therefore, I decided to keep pressing, I was going to get some advice from an unlikely source one way or another.

"Therefore, surely there must be a divine quality to my blood?" I pressed, the general hesitated a bit longer this time and I was starting to doubt this strategy. First of all, there was the fact that I knew I didn't really care for Dmitri's opinion either way and I was just looking for someone to take the burden of making a decision away from me just this once, second of all, I recognized that the way I was phrasing these questions, in the context of Mikhailovich trying to make up for questioning me previously, I was pressuring him into giving me an answer that was in favor of incest. More and more of me was ready to stop resisting and just embrace these feelings, but I knew it was wrong and I knew that, even if I did manage to maneuver Mikhailovich into saying that royals should be incestuous, that really doesn't mean anything about my situation. I was just pressuring him into giving what we both know was really the wrong answer and, even then, if he did admit it, he was admitting it in the context of me marrying some distant male relative, probably some sort of German Prince.

"...I suppose you would, yes." Mikhailovich admitted nonetheless. I wondered what the right thing to do now would be. Leaving now before completing this line of questioning would seem suspicious and unnatural, however, continuing it would only lead to the possibility of Dmitri realizing I had engaged in incestuous acts...though given that he didn't know my sexuality...would he truly realize? I mean, he clearly meant I was referring to some foreign Prince who was distantly related to me, he couldn't possibly predict I meant someone as directly related to me as Yelizaveta. Finishing this line of questioning wouldn't give me any real answers after all, but it wouldn't exactly hurt anything either. I would lead Mikhailovich into giving whatever answer he was going to give me and then I would come up with some sort of excuse that I was going to go think about it. At that point, I think I would go talk with Yasamin. I think that I could afford to be a bit more honest with her and I figured I would at least be able to take her advice somewhat seriously.

"By that logic, should I not be with other individuals who have this divine blood? After all, wouldn't anything else dilute the bloodline and produce impure heirs?" I asked the final part of the question, this would get his real answer on incest, even if I knew at this point that his answer didn't really matter and it wasn't going to affect my situation in the slightest. At this point, I wasn't even sure if Yasamin could help me, sure I at least felt comfortable telling her that I was a lesbian and that I wanted to be with someone I couldn't be with, but even then I wasn't giving her the full answer. She probably would have thought I meant an attractive woman or, depending on how much research she put into my court before approaching me, she may have even connected some dots and figured I meant being with Krystyna despite the distance between us. Hell, Yasamin probably would have thought I was referring to her before she would have suspected one of my sisters, after all, given that Yasamin was using her uncle and cousins as heirs rather than getting married, I suspected she was a lesbian. I respected Yasamin's opinion, however, how valuable was her opinion when she didn't know the full context? Yelizaveta and I were the only ones who knew the full context of our love and we were the only ones who could know, therefore, asking anyone else was just going to get answers unknowingly approving an incestuous relationship.

"My Tsarina, if I understand the divine right to rule correctly, wouldn't your claim by the only valid one? I mean, why would God choose multiple dynasties? Unless you only plan to marry within The House Rurikovich, it all seems rather ridiculous." He replied. Now that, was somewhat unexpected. I knew there was a chance he would refuse even if I did pressure him into giving an answer, but he went so far as to dismiss the whole idea of the divine right to rule because, yeah, almost every King in Europe claimed the divine right, but all of us claimed the exclusive divine right, therefore, if we were going to say that blood was divine, the only way that would truly work is to marry close relatives. I suppose Mikhailovich and the Spanish Habsburgs had similar ideas to royal marriages after all, given that the particular branch of the Austrian house was notorious for incest, not that I can judge. Though...did that mean that my own absolutist logic was pointing to a relationship with Yelizaveta? Of course not, we couldn't reproduce even if we wanted to, it wouldn't make sense to use that divine blood argument to justify incest, especially because we knew the reality was inbreeding. A stupid part of my brain was hoping for any justification to embrace Yelizaveta and, well, I suppose an equally stupid part of my brain was hoping for any justification to find a way to avoid these incestuous feelings.

"Well...I suppose you have left me something to think about general. Let me know if something changes with the siege." I figured when I came up with the excuse that I really wouldn't have much to think about, but Dmitri did indeed leave me with a lot on my mind. It is clear as day that it was becoming harder and harder to resist Liz especially as she was willing to ignore how disgusting these feelings are. I needed someone to remind me of just how horrible this is and I think that Liz needed to hear that too, but I had no way of getting someone to tell us that without revealing either my sexuality or the fact that this was incestuous. Those who knew enough about me to know my sexuality were too important to me for me to scare them off with the revelation that I was an incestuous freak and those who didn't know my sexuality were irrelevant to me, I wouldn't respect their opinion. I sighed, I should have been focusing on The Siege of Trebizond, instead, I was wallowing in my own indecision and the horrible feelings I had been nursing for nearly a year now finally confronting me. I had to see Yasamin soon, perhaps the Persian with desires on southern India could give me the answers I needed to hear...or perhaps she could give my incestuous side the final push it needed to devour me and push me towards devouring my own sister. I had no idea what Yasamin would recommend, but I had to know.

* * *

I found Yasamin sat on an ornate rug speaking softly in what I assumed was Arabic - Yasamin was a bit of a polyglot it seems, she knew her native Persian, Turkish, Russian, I believe she spoke one of the southern Indian languages, and she at least knows enough Arabic to go through Islamic prayer rituals - she was facing to the southeast. I silently waited for her to finish. I believed in God and, for the most part, my values were derived from the Russian Orthodox Church - though given that the Patriarch of Moscow ultimately answers to me, it is rather easy to agree with that Church, especially since the Church has an important rule with justifying my rule. In any case, I was an Orthodox Christian, however, I wasn't particularly pious myself. I couldn't exactly see myself in Yasamin's shoes, but that didn't mean I was going to disturb her religious issues. If prayer is significant to her experience as a Shia Muslim, then I won't disturb her.

"Tsarina Anastasia," Yasamin greeted.

"Yasamin," I greeted in response before getting to the reason why I am here "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

"What about?" the Persian asked in response.

"Well, I am absolutely in love and lust with a girl who I shouldn't have anything to do with. I was hoping for some advice." I laid out as much as I felt I could to Yasamin. I made it clear that it was a homosexual relationship and I made it clear that it was taboo beyond that, I was hoping she wouldn't pry much further. I would be willing to explain that the love is forbidden but I wouldn't dare explain why. Yasamin is a cultured woman, she is a Persian with roots to India who grew up with a father who was administering an Armenian city under a Turkmen dynasty, however, one thing that all those cultures had in common was that incest was unacceptable - well cousins were fine in most cases, but siblings was unheard of, everyone could agree that feelings for your own flesh and blood sister were wrong and sinful - even she wouldn't be able to face me if she knew the full truth. Only Yelizaveta and I can ever know about the feelings and about what happened last night, that event that should absolutely never happen again.

"My father was reduced to a mere administrator under a foreign dynasty ruling over a city far, far away from where he wanted to be." Yasamin began and I didn't know quite how this story could possibly be related to my predicament, nevertheless, I quietly listened, hoping to find answers even if I wasn't quite sure how Yasamin was going to give me those answers "He knew of our Bahmanid past but to him it was nothing more than a nostalgic interest. He collected some turquoise art and paintings from southern India and even married a Kannada Muslim woman as his third wife - my mother - but to him, it was all a dream. Now I'm here with you, getting the mighty Tsardom of Russia to support my cause. The Bahmanid Sultanate went from a nostalgic dream to an almost tangible probability in a single generation. Nothing is impossible Anastasia, certainly not love. Between your beauty and your brains, you can have any woman in the world, homosexual or otherwise. Fret not over rules because you have the power to change any rule in the Tsardom of Russia, even religious rules. I promise you that I won't have it that easy if I choose to pursue a woman in my eventual Sultanate. Don't hold yourself back, take her and don't look back."

"I wish it were that easy..." I hesitated. Yasamin did have a point in that it certainly wasn't impossible, if anything, it was all too possible, it was downright probable. She also had a point that I had it relatively easy, I was already established as Tsarina of Russia and I had the capability of using the Church and the laws to subtly tweak Russia's position on homosexuality, first by trimming those laws from the law book, next by toning down the condemnation in Churches, and, slowly but surely turning public opinion from hatred to apathy to ambivalence to tolerance. I have no doubt that this process would take decades if not centuries, but I have the power to put it motion, something which Yasamin wouldn't be able to do even if she was able to establish a degree of absolutist rule in southern India. I was fortunate in many ways and I demonstrated that when I was able to be with Krystyna without any problems, but there is a big difference between a homosexual relationship and an incestuous homosexual relationship.

"Has the woman who decided to declare war on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Ottoman Empire within a year of each other and somehow managed to pull it off suddenly decided to worry about what is and what is not easy? Look, if you care enough about this woman that she is still in your head despite the fact that you think being with her is impossible, that means you really do want and, from how little I know you, I know you can and will take whatever it is you want." I looked up at Yasamin as she said virtually the same thing that Yelizaveta told me this morning. I take what I want. I took Byelorussia and the Ukraine, I took Krystyna, and now I'm taking the fight to The Ottoman Empire itself, I have the land and I had Krystyna, I can have more too. I can have Yelizaveta and everyone I've asked so far has told me to pursue it, but none of them know the whole truth.

I looked into Yasamin's deep brown eyes and thought about it for a moment, the Persian - well Indo-Persian as it turns out - woman clearly admired and respected me. She also made it quite clear, several times, that she needs my help because she needs a base of operations to gather her government and prepare resources for establishing a Sultanate - raising an army is the least of her concerns, she doesn't just care for conquering bits of southern India, she cares about keeping them and making them her own, she needs to ensure her state can actually last before throwing herself into it and turning this Sultanate into a reality - I didn't exactly want to tell her the truth, I didn't want to see that admiration and respect wash away because of the dark and terrible truth of what I really am, but she is in debt to me. I can tell Yasamin and she won't be able to run away or call me a freak, not to mention that as a foreigner and a Muslim, the nobles of Moscow wouldn't exactly believe her even if she did decide to reveal my secret. I could tell her.

"...It's not me, is it?" Yasamin asked, a slight blush on her brownish cheeks. I winced, I was deep in thought and I was starring into her eyes a mere moment after telling her that I was in love with somebody I shouldn't be with. Through in the fact that I could feel myself smiling - likely a result of the relief I felt from when I realized the possibility of having someone to talk to about this - and yeah, I could see how she could misinterpret this.

"What? No! No..." I shot her down and hoped it didn't seem too mean, but perhaps it was because she released a somewhat disappointed noise. I thought about addressing it but I figured it would only lead to more awkwardness, after all, with the comments of my beauty and my smarts, I had a pretty good idea that Yasamin was attracted to me, given that the feeling wasn't mutual, I would rather not dwell on it too much. I took a deep breath before I decided to reveal my deepest, darkest secret to a woman I hadn't even meant that long age, though I suppose it was better that way, less pain if she considers it disgusting. Anyway, I was done stalling, I needed help "It...It's Yelizaveta."

"So?" Yasamin replied, anticlimactically. My eyes widened a bit at just how instant and nonchalant the dismissal of incest was. Yasamin didn't even seem all that shocked despite the fact that she knew damn well that Yelizaveta and I were sisters. I was shocked - why isn't she disgusted? Why isn't she at least thinking about it? Why was she so instant to drop the whole thing as if it were nothing? I couldn't believe it. Yasamin, seeing the expression on my face, opted to explain herself "It's not like the two of you are going to produce inbred heirs. You're a pair of beautiful woman and, to be honest, thinking back, it's pretty obvious that you two are attracted to each other. All the glances and stares, sharing the tent, no to mention the fact that she even dresses like you. If I had a sister that looked like either of you, I would want to pursue an incestuous relationship too. Go for it."

"The fact that we're related doesn't bother you?" I asked her, I couldn't believe that not only was Yasamin not disgusted in me, but she was telling me to pursue these feelings and even went so far as to say that she would do the same thing in my shoes. How was I supposed to avoid my feelings for Yelizaveta when Yasamin was literally telling me to go ahead and pursue these feelings when she knew the full context? Even General Mikhailovich, who didn't know the full context and seemed to not even agree with the divine right of Kings, managed to twist the idea of divine blood into saying that royals should, according to our own logic, engage in direct family incest? I'm sure that Mikhailovich did not intend for me to be incestuous, he was using that argument to shoot down the divine right, but considering that I was struggling with incestuous feelings, he certainly didn't help. Yelizaveta wanted it, I wanted it, and Yasamin was telling me to pursue it. At this point, I couldn't help but wonder...would it really be all that bad if Liz and I were together?

"Is it weird? Yes, yes it is. However, that being said, you two are obviously in love and I see no reason why you shouldn't be together despite the fact that you two happen to be sisters. No one needs to know and I promise you that I will not reveal your secret. I know that we have not known each other long, but because you are willing to help me and because you are willing to trust me with this, I consider you a dear friend and a cherished ally. Thank you Anastasia." Yasamin smiled warmly. I thought back on the admiration that Yelizaveta had for me, the fact that even Mikhailovich was being respectful of me as of late, and now Yasamin's praise of me. I always wanted to be the great absolutist monarch of Russia, an individual who could crush entire Kingdoms with ease, someone whose name carried weight as far away as Paris and London, now, it seemed like I was finally making some progress. The people around me were realizing my accomplishments. I cut The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in half and, with Krystyna soon to be on the throne, I will create a permanent relationship between Russia and Poland, I invaded The Ottoman Empire and crushed one of their armies, the banes of Europe, in battle at Tskhumi, and now, my armies were practically unopposed as we laid siege to the great fortifications of Trebizond and Tabriz. The Russian Imperial Army surrounds Trebizond, the final relic of The Byzantine Empire ready to reclaim anything and everything that will solidify our claim as the Third Rome, meanwhile, the Army of the Caucasus has begun the Siege of Tabriz, prepared to take the city which once served as a capital to powerful states such as the mighty Ilkhanate and the Qara Qoyunlu Turkmen who now reign over Persia. Neither city would become part of The Tsardom of Russia, not yet anyway, but we will gladly loot them to pieces and take their wealth to my new Moscow, adorning my refurbished capital with evidence of our great victories over The Ottomans in The Russo-Ottoman War, likely the first of many conflicts for the glory of Russia.

"Thank you Yasamin, I...I think I have to talk to Yelizaveta about this." I sincerely thanked her before rising up with a clear goal in my mind. The Turks were at my mercy and I was loving it, I was absolutely on top of the world and I was only being held back because I was unwilling to act on these feelings for Yelizaveta. I cannot deny that the kiss we shared was better than any kiss I had with Krystyna, I cannot deny that what happened last night was better than outright sex with Krystyna, I cannot deny that I have incestuous feelings anymore. I am the Tsarina of Russia, I am the one who will civilize the great steppes of southern Russia, I am the one whose name will bring fear into the hearts of the greatest and bravest Ottoman generals, I am the one who will turn a large but backwater Russia into a superpower that Europe will never be able to ignore again. I am Anastasia Aleksandrovna Rurikovich and I am in love with my sister. I have held myself back too long and I have too often lied to myself that these feelings would go away, but they have not and they will not, but I will not suffer because of these feelings. No matter what happens or where these feelings lead, I will take this journey with Yelizaveta.

* * *

Yelizaveta had ignored me all day and I had only managed to run into her that night when she finally entered our tent. My little sister was clearly still angry and didn't even acknowledge me as she angrily changed out of her military uniform and into her nightgown. My scorned sister laid down as far away from me as the cot would allow and faced away from me. I had hurt her and I had hurt myself. These feelings are wrong, they are monstrous, and they are disgusting, but we have them and trying to fight that will only lead to more pain and more suffering. I almost let my resistance destroy everything that Liz and I have built together since she came out to me, the relationship I have established with my brilliant little sister as she has grown from a shy and bookish girl into now, an almost seventeen year old confident and powerful heiress who has observed me create an absolutist state and take an ever-increasing role in leading our armies. Now, it was time to pay her back for showing me my sexuality, for allowing me to enjoy all those nights we slept together while I tried to lie to myself and say that it was wrong and it was torturous, and for being willing to wait for me when I was being so foolish and so stubborn. I was almost disgusted with myself because of how quickly and how completely I was willing to jump into this relationship with my own flesh and blood, but I didn't care anymore. Seeing Liz so angry and so alone on this cot was the final straw I needed to finally open my eyes and see the love I and been waiting for all along. Krystyna was never going to make me forget about Yelizaveta, Yasamin was never going to make me forget about Yelizaveta, but Yelizaveta can certainly make me forget about my reservations.

I scooted over to Liz and I wrapped my around around her waist and rested my head in her neck. I swept her hair away and kissed her neck before coming up to bite her ear. I felt Liz tense up below me as she transitioned from anger to confusion to realization and finally to elation. I had done wrong and I had lied to the both of us, but I was done lying and I was done running, it was time to embrace the woman I should have been with ever since that night in Minsk which ignited everything. Two Tsarinas of Russia, together at last, just like our names will forever be united together in the name of The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, the new home of the Russian court and the center of my new Moscow. Perhaps it is fitting that our relationship finally comes together as Andrea and Camillo, my architects from Italy, put my palace together brick by brick...and perhaps it would be fitting if both culminated at the same time. I almost felt Liz smile as I stopped biting her ear and instead unleashed a hot exhale into it before finally telling her the good news.

"What are you doing all the way over there, my love? Is it not time to stop putting distance between us? I think it is about time we both finally embrace who we are and be together?" I whispered into her ear, I wasn't particularly romantic, I didn't think anyone growing up in a sheltered royal life can be particularly good at this sort of thing, but I was definitely going to try for Yelizaveta. I had made a lot of mistakes and I had a lot to make up for. Yelizaveta turned around and wrapped her arms around my neck in a way that felt so natural, so right before kissing me feverishly. Her kisses battered my face but I accepted each and every one of them. Finally, she came at my lips and we engaged in a protracted display of love and lusted. Our tongues wrapped together and we moaned into each other's mouths. This was incest, that much was clear, but could it really be sin? How could something that felt so right be wrong?

"What finally made you realize?" Yelizaveta asked with a smile on her face as she panted to finally catch her breath. I could have said a number of things. I could have said that it was Mikhailovich turning my own logic against me, I could have said that it was Yasamin convincing me that it wasn't all that bad anyway, but really, it all boiled down to the absolutely irresistible object of my affections. As I watched this beautiful woman become so happy, as I felt her in my arms, and as I realized that, going forward, I could kiss her, touch her, be with her whenever I wanted, I knew that, in the end, it was all because of her. My beautiful, intelligent, and wonderful little sister who I held in my arms when I was just three years old, the girl who would one day be my heiress and the mighty rule of Russia, but before all that, she will be the girl who will be everything for me - she will be my lover, my confidant, and my sister - she was perfect and she was mine, all mine. It felt so liberating to finally be in this position. I felt like the weight of the world was off of my shoulders and that together, we could accomplish anything. I loved Krystyna, I really did, but Liz was the woman who I was always meant to be with.

"You did." I said with complete and utter sincerity. We enjoyed each other that night before drifting off into effortless sleep. There was only one bridge left to cross but Yelizaveta was understanding when I told her that I wanted our first real time having sex to be in the walls of our new palace rather than on some cot on the fringes of Anatolia. For all we knew, we were sleeping over the graves of some of our Komnenos ancestors who reigned over Trebizond. No, our special kind of love deserves a special place, and I can think of no place more special than the magnificent palace that will carry our names.

* * *

I was absolutely blissful the next morning as Yelizaveta and I fully threw ourselves at the siege. There were blushing cheeks, fleeting moments of holding hands, and even a few stolen kisses, but we kept everyone far too busy to notice. The artillery crews were working with a downright religious passion as they fired volley after volley into the walls and bastions of Trebizond. It was almost like my troops wanted to blast the now Ottoman town into the form it held as a medieval Byzantine state, though I wasn't quite sure if cannons were quite the way to do that. If they were just working to break the walls and win the siege, however, then they were doing a fantastic job. There was no way that Trebizond was going to survive the summer of 1623 at this rate.

Wave after wave of Russian infantry marched around the city, showing the defenders just how outnumbered they were and how hopeless their situation was. No help was coming, we had already annihilated the Anadolu Ordusu at Tskhumi and Yerevan, any other Ottoman Army would have to abandon their post and there is no way they would do that with how precarious the Turkish position truly is in many of the regions they hold. This war was finally going to beat the Turks and turn the tide for Europe, however, I had to be careful. I didn't want the Turks to be able to be able to expand any further into Hungary or anywhere else in Europe, however, I didn't want the Europeans to carve them up either. I wanted as much Turkish land for myself as possible. Perhaps one day, centuries from now, Konstantiniyye can be in Russian hands and once again known as Tsargrad, the name granted to it by the people of the Kievan Rus, it was absolutely insane to think about it, but, after all I've done and will do in my reign, who really knows? All I know is that, if I have any hope of that ever happening, I need to ensure that The Ottomans, after this war, remain weaker than Russia but stronger than anyone else in Europe. Only I may conquer them.

Well, I will give an exception to Lady Krystyna, to a degree anyway. I wish to see her push her claims to the maximum extent. Now that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is my ally and, in many ways, a subject, I want to see them become a wealthy and prosperous Kingdom, I want to see them grow large, and I want to see their armies pursuing the ambitions of a brave and talented woman who I loved, but did not love enough. I know now that I can only be happy with Yelizaveta, but I want her to be happy too, if not with me, then maybe she can achieve happiness by becoming the most powerful ruler in Catholic Europe. She can lead a revitalized Poland stretching from the Baltic in Prussia to the Black Sea in Besarabia, she can press her claim to Bohemia to recreate an independent Czech Kingdom to rival the Habsburgs for power over the German lands, she can use her ties to the Bathory and Transylvania to transform the mountainous fringe Principality into a revitalized Kingdom of Hungary reigning over the entire Pannonian basin, and she can reunite the Hungarian and Neapolitan thrones by going on an ambitious adventure against the Spanish Habsburgs and bringing valuable Italian land into her Empire. She will do great things and, once she dies, four independent regional powers will emerge with one powerful Russia to rise above them all. She will go great things in eastern Europe and it is all beginning now, just across the Black Sea, as she leads the Polish Armia z Besarabia across Moldavia and into The Ottoman Empire proper. Jan the Prussian may still sit on the Polish throne, but it is clear as day to anyone that real power and real influence rests with Krystyna, the true King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Bohemia, The Kingdom of Hungary, and The Kingdom of Naples. I will bring four Kingdoms into the Russian sphere of influence thanks to Lady Krystyna alone and, with Yasamin, I will bring a potentially very powerful and very large south Indian Sultanate into the fold, offering economic opportunities in the distant future and a barricade against my enemies in the short term. The Bahmanid Sultanate will serve to reserve parts of India for Russian influence until we're ready to reach the subcontinent. Now I shall actively pursue this policy, inviting ambitious foreigners, both men and women, to my new Moscow to great a great court to match my great palace, perhaps these foreigners will include potential German Princes and foreign nobles. Soon enough, I will be able to surround and strangle my enemies. It is no secret that The Kingdom of Sweden has ambitions on The Lands of The Livonian Order in the Baltic, now, with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I have the Baltic surrounded. From Pskov the Russians can attack from the east and the Poles and Lithuanians can attack from the south. As for Sweden itself, I already have aspirations for taking Vyborg to earn a port on the Baltic and will then be able to invade across Karelia into the Finnish woods, it will be difficult, but it will be possible, especially if we can engage in a two front war. The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway has long been a rival of Sweden and they have battled over dominating the Baltic and for leading the Protestant states of Germany. This is a tension I can capitalize on.

The Danes and Norwegians campaigned into Germany first but were repelled by the Catholic forces, now, as Sweden champions the Protestant cause, the Danes are even considering entering the war on the Catholic side to contain Sweden. The Danes and the Swedes both want Catholic power to decrease, but they don't want the other to gain power in the vacuum, much like my view on the Turks. Considering that the war against The Ottomans was going well and that victory was almost certain, it is just about time to begin plotting for my next major war against Sweden. An alliance between The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway would strangle Sweden and allow for Russia to easily take the Baltic. I was ready to embark on that war, but first, I had to finish this war and that meant that I had to finally crush the defenses of Trebizond.

"Good news my Tsarina!" General Mikhailovich reported, notably surprisingly chipper. I doubted that this had anything to do with the chat we had yesterday, I figured that he was just pleased about how well the siege was progressing. My guess turned out to be correct once Dmitri began speaking "The Russian Navy has defeated the Ottoman Navy at The Battle of Theodoro. A small fleet of Portuguese ships are heading here to bombard the fortress from the coast while our ships are spreading throughout the Black Sea to establish control over the waters. We are on the verge of total victory."

"My sister was wise to declare war on The Ottoman Empire now, wouldn't you say, general?" Yelizaveta asked with a smirk on her face and admiration in her voice. My sister was evidently still holding a grudge over Dmitri doubting my administrative capabilities, now, my sister and lover, was here to defend my honor and brag about just how wonderful the woman she could have whenever she wanted was. I was glad to see my little sister beginning to come out of her shell and I was even happier to see all the admiration that she had for me. It felt like an incredible release to finally be able to express my love for Liz and I couldn't wait for our palace to finally come together so Liz and I could consummate our relationship in the sheets of our new bed. She was a fantastic woman and, despite the incest, I was glad that we were together. I felt happier today than I have ever since Krystyna left and Liz and I haven't even fully been together yet.

"Perhaps she is." Dmitri reluctantly admitted as the Siege of Trebizond entered its final stage. The ancient Byzantine fortress was absolutely surrounded and, within a week, the Portuguese ships arrived and, from the coast, their guns battered the fortress one last time. They were surrounded by land and now they were being pelted by sea. With all of this going against them, it was no surprise when the Turkish flags were lowered from the fortress and white flags were raised: Trebizond has surrendered, however, that was not entirely perfect. It was now getting close to the end of the summer of 1623 and soon it would be winter. Given that we were going to be crossing rough and harsh terrain across Anatolia, Kurdistan, and into Tabriz in greater Azerbaijan, I did not want to drag my army though mountains and hills only for us to get trapped somewhere halfway between here and Tabriz in the winter. Not to mention the fact that, while the Army of the Caucasus was being supplied through a relatively simple and easy route from the occupied city of Baku, we would be stretching our supply lines while we crossed from Trebizond to Tabriz. I saw what attrition did to Sultana Helena's army and, with winters getting longer and harsher, I felt there was no reason why we couldn't be cautious when victory was already practically predetermined. The Army of the Caucasus will ensure that the fortified city on the Turkish frontier does not get the chance to rest.

* * *

The Russian Imperial Army was slowly but surely reinforced and trained throughout the winter as 1623 faded away and 1624 began. I was now twenty years old and Yelizaveta was seventeen. My little sister was blossoming into the future ruler of Russia before my very eyes. She paid attention to everything I did, watching with complete focus, utter admiration, and barely restrained lust. Speaking of lust, we had managed to keep ourselves in control and not violate our promise to save ourselves until we could do it in the palace devoted to us, despite now sharing a proper bed within the administrative building of Trebizond. Though I suppose the fact that we were engaging in borderline acts similar to those we experienced in the tent meant that our desires and our lust was curbed ever so slightly. Nevertheless, I quickly found that being in an incestuous relationship did not bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. Perhaps Yasamin had a point, given that we weren't going to reproduce, were we really harming anyone after all? I suppose not, in fact, it was certainly pleasing the two of us. Yelizaveta was the happiest I have seen her in years and she promised me that I was much happier too...I had to admit, she was probably right. I was in love and in a relationship, the war was going great for Russia, and we managed to recover a number of Byzantine relics left over from the Komnenos dynasty.

Paintings, embellished items, crosses and relics from churches, and even a few dress crowns were recovered and loaded onto a wagon bound for Moscow as the Russian Imperial Army prepared to embark on our spring march to Tabriz, only a year after the war had began and yet total victory seemed so close and so certain. We were truly the heirs of Rome, no other civilization could be this blessed.

"You too look wonderful together." Yasamin remarked with a giggle as she saw Yelizaveta and I donned in our green military uniforms for the first time since taking Trebizond. My hair in a single long braid beneath the imposing tricorne and her hair loose and free, beautifully framing her pale face and wondrous blue eyes. We truly were a matching set and the two of us couldn't be happier about it. Sure we were siblings and sure that meant that our relationship had to be even more secret than even a regular homosexual one because of how taboo and forbidden it was, but there was no denying it was love. Liz and I both realized that continuing to fight these feelings would only lead to suffering and make it harder for me to by Tsarina and her to be my Tsarevna, instead, we had to embrace it and allow our romance to synergize our political relationship rather than allowing our suppression of romance from stifling our political relationship. I only wish I realized that before denying our feelings for months and dragging Krystyna and Terezia into this. Krystyna already has a broken heart because of the distance our plans created and Terezia will inevitably get one once Liz breaks it off. It will hurt them dearly. I regretted all that, but at least now, we could ensure that no one else gets hurt.

"Thank you." I smiled in response as Liz gave Yasamin a hug, I followed a moment later "You know, you and your guards can take your carriage and journey back to Moscow with the treasure wagon, no need to remain on the battlefield with us."

"I appreciate it Tsarina but it won't be necessary. I want to be with the two of you during this war, these experiences will only make me into a better ruler and military leader for when the time comes to establish my Sultanate." Yasamin responded with sound logic. She would have to lead great armies in India against countries with massive populations to conscript soldiers from. She would be up against legions upon legions of infantry, cavalry in the hands of horsemen from as far away as Persia and central Asia, and the fearsome elephant, a staple of Indian warfare. She would indeed have to prepare for these challenges.

"Very well then." I replied before turning to the troops, General Mikhailovich quietly standing by, ready to carry out whatever order I issued "Soldiers! Today, we march to Tabriz to reunite with your brothers in the Army of the Caucasus! March forth to take Tabriz, to sack the great city of Baghdad, and to end not only this war, but Ottoman supremacy! Soldiers! We march to victory!"

"To victory!" my soldiers called out as the order was goal was clear. When Tabriz and Baghdad fall, the war will be over, the way this war is going, Sultana Helena must realize that she may be forced off the throne if the war is allowed to drag on long enough for Damascus, Anatolia, and even the lands surrounding Constantinople itself to be threatened. Sultana Helena will beg for peace, Krystyna in the northwest and I in the northeast will ensure that.

* * *

Alright guys, wow, this turned into an unexpectedly long chapter but, with what I accomplished here, I think we are ready for a run of shorter chapters in the 7-9 thousand word range. I will try and not produce any 10,000 word plus behemoth chapters for the next few uploads, give you guys the chance to rest your burned out eye sockets. That is, unless, I stumble onto some magic and end up turning a 7 thousand word chapter into one twice as long by accident.

Ciao! Peace out!


	27. Blood at The Battle of Varna

Hello everyone! This is chapter twenty-seven of Romans and this is an Ottomans chapter! When we left Sultana Helena and Fatimah, they had just attempted to assert their authority in Konstantiniyye. Now, they are leading the combined remains of the Balkan Ordusu and the Kirim Ordusu against the grand army of Lady Krystyna. The Ottomans are desperate for a victory after crippling defeats at Tskhumi, Yerevan, Theodoro, and Baku but The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is desperate to avenge their loss against the Russians in the last war. A massive battle is coming, one that will send shockwaves through Europe.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXVII.

Blood at The Battle of Varna.

* * *

"The Poles will try and consolidate their gains before camping for the winter. That is the time we will get to work. The main unit of the army will remain here in Tirnova. Advanced units will move forward and set up defensive works around the major crossings of the Danube. Troops have been instructed to construct palisades, place cannons on hills, and use trenches. These fortifications will slow down the Poles and Lithuanians as much as possible and inflict heavy losses. Our troops are to retreat before they are overwhelmed - though we are aware that they will likely take heavy losses. Once find where the bulk of the enemy forces are, we will move our army to favorable terrain and face them in battle." Fatimah explained. She developed an ambitious and multilayered defense scheme. This war has gone terribly for us on multiple fronts and my Grand Vizier was determined to win on this front.

The caramel skinned woman was dressed in a knee-length black dress with leather boots beneath. The outfit made her look wonderful and it was a lot more practical than either the dresses she usually wore of the black Grand Vizier robe that she was traditionally supposed to wear. Peasant women wore rags, urban women scrambled to afford two or three cheap gowns to be socially presentable, while noble women practically drowned themselves in dresses for every possible occasion. No women ever really got to wear practical clothes. The fact that female armor is virtually unheard of is proof of that. Only so many Queens have ever reigned to begin with and only a fraction of them have ever led troops into battle. Of those who did, only a fraction wore real armor. The vast majority of those suits of armor were ill-fitting suits of male armor that they made work. I haven't wore armor during either of the wars I've been involved in and, based on what I saw at Tskhumi, neither does Tsarina Anastasia. I suppose that is more of a result of the times.

Nowadays, leading armies, for the most part, does not result in rulers actually fighting in the front lines. At this point, armies are simply too large and complex for there to be any benefit to actually leading from the front. The reality is that there need to be captains in charge of individual units, those captains then report to commanders. The commanders oversee sections of armies and in turn report to a general or, in this case, my Grand Vizier. Neither Fatimah or I have very much military experience but, given that she at very least modernized the garrison in Tunis, she was more experienced than I was. Besides, it has become somewhat of a norm for Ottoman Sultans to leave the actual command of a war to the Grand Vizier. My late husband, who fancied himself a conqueror, was a bit of an exception to the rule, he wanted to be like the Sultans of old who conquered the Balkans and Constantinople. I was a bit of an exception as well given that I gave command to Fatimah yet accompanied her to the front anyway. Though, perhaps in the future, it may be wiser for at least one of us to remain in Konstantiniyye, after all, if I was in the capital and Fatimah was out fighting those future wars she not-so secretly desired, I could keep a close eye on Spartak Pasha and the other traditionalists. That way, I could truly ensure that what happened to us in Crimea will never happen again.

I wanted to spend time with Fatimah and I loved the woman, but perhaps things would be better that way. Not only would it cement my authority but it would allow her to pursue her more belligerent plans while I pursued our agenda in the capital. I wanted peace and Fatimah did love me and support me, but I know how her mind works. The traditionalists and their damned plan for invading places like Sicily - seemingly for no reason other than further conquest and war - got into Fatimah's head. Then, my brilliant Grand Vizier put her mind to it and figured out how to turn the impossible into the possible. This was a blessing and a curse. She had the mind to ensure that this war against Russia would be the only loss of my reign, however, in doing so, she would engage in various wars. Fatimah had brilliant plans for The Ottoman Empire at peace, but if she was applying herself to war and expansion, would we really have enough resources left and would she really have the capacity left to then carry out her very ambitions plans for peace? I didn't want to doubt Fatimah but surely even she has her limits. I could practically see our future plans for The Ottoman Empire unraveling before my very eyes.

"What about the Prince of Wallachia?" I asked Fatimah. In Konstantiniyye, the news was that Moldavia had fallen and that Wallachia had been drained of its forces. Last I heard, the Prince refused to raise further troops or contribute to this war anymore. I wasn't sure if that was because the Prince honestly cared for his state and didn't want to send his people to die, if he was stubbornly saving his remaining troops in defense of Wallachia itself, or if this was some form of stubborn resistance against The Ottoman Empire. In any case, the Prince of Wallachia wasn't even my biggest problem. Prince Matyas of Transylvania had openly joined the enemy alliance. Transylvania had always been a problem. To begin with, the Hungarian ruled Romanian Principality was claimed both by my Empire and the Habsburgs, meaning that the Prince paid a partial tribute to Konstantiniyye and another one to Vienna rather than paying a proper tribute to either of us. They were never dependable to begin with, now, they were openly rebelling against me. Not only was I on track to lose my homeland in Crimea and my husband's hard fought territories in Caucasia, but I was also going to lose Moldavia to the Poles and Transylvania would become an independent Bathory state pledging their allegiance to my enemies in Moscow and Warsaw. This war presented disaster after disaster.

"If he does not wish to send troops to support the Ottoman war effort, I do not wish to send troops to defend his Principality." Fatimah replied curtly. Her message was clear, if the Prince of Wallachia wanted protection from the Poles and Lithuanians, he would have to help us before we would help him. I did not know exactly what was going on with this Polish army, but I could make some guess. First of all, that they intend to protect their reputation after their loss against Russia, second of all, the wanted Moldavia for themselves so they would leave that Principality in tact. These two combined meant that the Poles and Lithuanians were only just beginning. Once they crossed into Wallachia or The Ottoman Empire proper, they will unleash everything. They will loot wealth to replenish Warsaw's coffers, they will execute prisoners to shake their enemies with fear, and they will gladly cause dissent within our Empire just to weaken us in time for another war. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth may have become Russia's ally and lap dog, but that does not mean that they have the same intentions, quite the opposite. I can only imagine that Tsarina Anastasia would want Poland to have as little autonomy as possible - she wants Poland to be entirely focused on her wars rather than on their own - while King Jan of Poland will likely resist the woman who forced him to sign a humiliating treaty. Especially now that it seems that Tsarina Anastasia is dictating policy within his own country. Turkish observers in Moldavia have revealed that a Polish noblewoman called Lady Krystyna is actually in command of this army. This woman has evidently spent some time in Moscow. There is a woman leading Polish troops with ties to Moscow - it is hardly a stretch to realize what Anastasia is up to.

This Lady Krystyna was functioning as a Russian agent. She was already there leading Polish troops and furthering Anastasia's agenda in this war. The next obvious step was to get Krystyna on the throne. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a strange and dysfunctional state. It is a state of Poles, Lithuanians, Germans, Jews, Byelorussians, Ruthenians, and countless other groups, yet the nobles themselves have been heavily Polonized. Therefore, a Polish noble from a place as far away from Krakow - Poland's largest city - as the southern end of Galicia or the most extreme corner of Lithuania will journey to the capital of Warsaw to vote for the King of Poland. It is an elective monarchy with a powerful nobility called the Sejm. This strong nobility and the relatively backwater nature of Poland has resulted in a very weak monarchy that has been unable to utilize its resources. That is why Poland lost control of The Principality of Moldavia to us and that is why they have lost Byelorussia and the Ukraine to The Tsardom of Russia. Of course, I cannot exactly hold that against them, The Tsardom of Russia is a powerful state on the rise and they will be very hard to beat. Poland has failed to beat them, we are failing to beat them, and I suspect many other states will fail against Russia and Anastasia going forward. Once again, I find myself wishing that the two of us could have found ourselves as allies.

That is The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but the brains and the brawn of this war is elsewhere. The Tsardom of Russia is our true enemy. A scant few centuries ago Muscovy was a backwater Principality of frozen forests and peasant farms under the iron first of the Mongols. Then, the little arsenal known as the Kremlin ruled by some unfortunate branch of Rurikid Princes earned the trust of the Mongols, becoming their tax collectors and enforcers. Suddenly, Pskov, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Beloozero, Odoyev, and Vladimir were sending their tributes through Moscow. The Princes grew rich and powerful at the expense of their rivals while the great Mongol Empire fractured into tiny little pieces. Khanates in Kazan and Crimea waged war with the remnants of The Great Horde while Muscovy and Novgorod emerged as the only remaining Russian states. Once Muscovy defeated Novgorod, their trajectory was clear. They turned on the steppes and on their western neighbors. The Great Horde fell, Kazan fell, and Crimea would have eventually fallen had it not become a part of The Ottoman Empire. I suppose that Crimea was falling to Russia after all regardless. In any case, in just two centuries, Muscovy went from irrelevant fortifications in the bitter cold north to a massive and powerful Empire eating away at my borders. They are extremely dangerous and they present the largest threat to The Ottoman Empire.

Austria will attempt to push further into Hungary and Croatia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will likely target us again, and Fatimah's plot for Sicily will send us on a collision course with the Spanish Empire, but they are different. Spain has established some level of control over the western Mediterranean and has virtually the entire New World to attend to, but they are stretched thinner than their population can support. Spanish troops are stationed throughout Spain, in various Moroccan outposts, across the New World, around Italy, and in Flanders fighting against the Dutch uprising, all of that on top of their role in assisting their Habsburg allies in the war against the Protestants. Austria is fighting wars on every possible front already with the Protestants rising up, the Venetians refusing them access to the Adriatic, and rivalries with even their Catholic allies in Germany. I have already mentioned that Poland is ultimately a puppet and all of that leads to Russia being the single biggest threat to my Empire. This war is already lost, but we must not lose again. We will fight to beat the Poles so that we can at very least end this war with dignity and then Fatimah and I will prepare to truly win the next war.

* * *

By the spring of 1624 our defensive plan was in motion. The main crossings of the Danube were heavily protected by fortified branches of the Balkan Ordusu and the main army was ready to move up to face the Polish force proper. Scouts were constantly searching for advantageous positions to fight battles. Our scouts searched for battlefields where we could play to our advantage - we wanted cannons on the high ground with the Poles having no place to answer them, we wanted to allow whatever Tatar horsemen were left among us to have the wide open room to flank and harass the enemy, and we wanted to be able to get there from here in the Bulgarian city of Tirnova before the Poles got there - we wanted victory to be predetermined.

"My Sultana-regent! My Grand Vizier!" a messenger cried as he ran into the camp - we had messengers stationed at every crossing, ready to ride here as soon as Poles were spotted, regardless of what they did when they saw our fortifications across the Danube - we knew that once the Poles and Lithuanians reached the Danube, they would manage to force their way across sooner rather than later. Fatimah called over a few of our commanders and then I gave the messengers permission to speak "Their army is crossing the Danube near Silistra! As I rode here I heard them destroy our fortifications with their cannons. I did not stay to see what happened but it is clear to me that they are going to cross with minimal casualties!"

The messenger's words were worrying. The Poles figured out what we were doing on the Danube and decided to obliterate our fortifications with their cannons, denying us both the chance to delay them and the chance to inflict heavy casualties. There were many places to cross the Danube, but the Poles were sticking relatively close to the coast. I could imagine what the Poles were up to. First, Silistra, the capital of the province of the same name, would fall, then the Poles would return to the coast. Varna would fall, Burgas would fall, and then the road to Konstantiniyye itself would be open. I doubted that this Lady Krystyna would even think that it would be possible for Konstantiniyye to fall in a siege, but with her troops heading for the coast and Russian and Portuguese ships victorious on the Black Sea, she could certainly inflict massive damage on the capital - damage that I would not allow. I sighed, Spartak Pasha is an absolute fool and he is a power-hungry snake, however, he may not necessarily be wrong in this case. Right now, the war in the Balkans definitely seemed more important than the war in Crimea, even if Spartak Pasha only made that made to show his own political power.

"Silistra's defenses were reduced when Wallachia and Moldavia submitted to our rule. The city will last mere days." a commander named Huseyin Pasha revealed. The man was a Turk and a relative - the grandson I believe - of the governor of Athens. His relation and his skills at leading troops through the rugged and rocky terrain of the Balkan coastlines got him this high position in the Balkan Ordusu. I was usually not a fan of nepotism amongst nobles of The Ottoman Empire, but, as a close relative of the governor, he would know more about the situation of other provinces in the Balkans than most commanders. His knowledge of Silistra, likely as a result of his grandfather's attempts to make himself appear greater than the other governors in the region, has given us relevant and useful news. Though unfortunately, in this case, it wasn't good news.

"We can hold the line at Varna. Our fortifications on the Danube stood no chance against their artillery and neither will Silistra. We need a fortress or at very least a fortified city." another commander argued, this one was Bayezid of Uskub, a former Janissary from northern Macedonia who has since established himself as a capable commander in his own right after leading a combined force of Janissaries and regular troops to squash a number of minor revolts among the Serbian population. His plan seemed reasonable but, with the Poles already using their guns to devastating effect and a Russian fleet at sea, combined with Fatimah and I's recent lack of luck when it comes to fortified cities, I wasn't convinced that it was going to work.

"We cannot simply allow for Silistra to fall. It is important to our political position in the Balkans and it leaves the rest of Bulgaria vulnerable." Muhammad Ural Pasha replied. That man was a commander from the Kirim Ordusu and survived the Battle of Theodoro. The Tatar commander knew all too well how horsemen could trample the relatively flat and open lands of Bulgaria - perhaps he was even distantly related to the Bulghars who descended on the steppe between the Byzantine Empire and the Carpathian Mountains in antiquity. Unfortunately, I felt that rushing to Silistra wasn't quite the right decision either, though for different reasons. I didn't think that the Poles would seek to occupy the rest of Bulgaria, I was already confident they were going for the coast, therefore, rushing to Silistra would only leave us with less time to prepare for their attack without even giving us the benefit of fortifications. I thought that waiting at Varna wasn't good enough and I thought that rushing to Silistra would leave us unprepared, that left us with some place in between the two cities.

"Quiet!" I called and silenced the bickering of my commanders. They turned to me, showing deference to the Sultana-regent but failing to hide the expectant looks in their eyes, as if silently telling me that whatever I am saying must be important to warrant this interruption. I opted to ignore this slight as addressing it would only waste more precious time. Fatimah but her hand on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. I enjoyed the hot sensation against my ear for only a moment before listening to the words she said. She reassured me and told me exactly what we were going to do. I nodded and understood. Turning back to the commanders with Fatimah's support propping me up, I presented our plan "I think Silistra's fall is predetermined but I think waiting for the Poles to attack us at Varna gives them the chance to wait, establish supply lines, and potentially even contact the Russian navy on the Black Sea for assistance. I do not want to face the Poles in a lengthy siege, I want to defeat them in open battle. That does not mean a fair battle. I want you all to gather the scouts back up again and send them to find favorable terrain between Silistra and Varna. The greater advantage we can have, the better."

There, the stage was set. The scouts would find a favorable setting for us to do battle and then the fate of the Balkan campaign would be sealed. Either The Ottoman Empire would win a victory that would avenge some of our losses earlier in this war and allow us to pursue peace with dignity or we would suffer yet another defeat that would only further arouse the hungry dogs of Europe ready to pounce on our borders regardless of whether or not they are truly able to stand a chance against us or not. In any case, it was clear that, after this war, regardless of whether we would pursue a peaceful agenda or be consumed by war just like I feared, we would have to modernize and grow our army. An army as either a guarantee of peace or as an instrument of war.

* * *

The Balkan Ordusu was set up on a tall, wide hill facing a somewhat shorter hill to the north with a valley in between. The Poles would come up the northern hill and they would be completely exposed, then, in order to get to us, they would have to charge down into ditch between us and then come back up. We had the high ground and we would be able to fire on an enemy forcing itself through a perfect killing ground. This was the perfect place to wage a battle between Silistra and Varna. I glanced to my side and saw our campfire sending smoke high in the air - sending a signal directly to this Lady Krystyna and her Polish army. This was as close to a trap as we could possibly spring. Thus, all there was left to do was watch and wait for them to arrive, a handful of Ottoman scouts watching their army to report on their numbers and grant an estimate on when they will arrive.

"The reports indicate that this Lady Krystyna is moving fast, she should arrive today." Fatimah reported, carrying the relevant documents with her. This woman was a bold one but it would be her downfall. She may have neutralized our defenses on the Danube with shrewd use of her cannons before even attempting to cross the river, but, in doing so, she wasted valuable ammunition - doing so again when she occupied Silistra - and would now face the full brunt of my army rather than just a minuscule detachment with some palisades guarding a river crossing. That one group has been annihilated, but the other detachments had joined us, all of them eager to avenge their fallen brethren. The Poles are fighting to regain their honor after losing their last war, but we are fighting to regain our honor in this war. We have not yet been fully defeated and that is why we will win, because we must win.

Soon enough Poles and Lithuanians began emerging from a small forest in the distance. The soldiers emerged from the woods and formed their pike squares back up in the cover behind the hills. Next, there was a contingent of Transylvanian troops - I was hardly surprised that the treacherous Prince who thrown his lot in with the Russians and the Poles would outright lend troops to the conflict - in fact, I even spotted a Hungarian noble on horseback who I believe is the Prince himself. More Poles and Lithuanians came through the woods, showing their numbers to be large, but we would severely thin their numbers as they came down that hill and through our little killing ground between the hills. A Portuguese detachment joined the growing army and even a force of what I could only assume were some sort of mercenaries from northern Europe. This was a fearsome army already and the Prince of Transylvania seemed to be in command of this group, but something seeming very wrong. This was the vast Bulgarian steppe - where were the Polish cavalry and where were their artillery?

"My lieges!" Muhammad Ural Pasha came running up to us "Scouts are reporting that the Polish army has split apart. They are arcing around our position!"

The word came through but it was too late. We were entirely exposed on this high hill top as Polish cannons began firing upon us from behind. I turned around to see the Polish cavalry behind the cannons - meaning that, in order to attack their cannons, we would have to head down the hill, abandoning our advantageous position and expose ourselves to a Polish cavalry charge - a Polish cavalry charge that was seemingly lead by King Jan himself based on the large Polish-Lithuanian flag flying above the core of winged hussars, the heaviest and deadliest wing of the Polish cavalry. They had come around and flanked us on both sides. We could attack the Polish cavalry and cannons, which was definitely the less numerous group, however, that would expose us to a cavalry charge and give the infantry time to cross the lines and attack us from behind, boxing us in. I looked to Fatimah expectantly, hoping that my lover and wife had a solution to this problem, because I had absolutely no idea how I could possibly turn this battle around.

I watched Fatimah freeze up, completely still except her eyes. I could tell she was thinking but I could tell that she was also lost, not to mention the fact that she was under extreme pressure right now. Fatimah had committed to this plan of wearing down the Poles and Lithuanians with our Danube fortifications and then facing them in a conventional battle where we would hold all the cards. Neither of us had planned on this Lady Krystyna completely outmaneuvering us. I wondered what exactly happened. In Erivan, when the Russians cracked our defenses at the Armenian fortress town, I deduced that there was a Persian interloper, but what about this time? Was someone in my army leaking information to my enemies? Was Spartak Pasha helping my enemies in order to set himself up for a coup? Or was it something as simple as the campfire marking our position revealing too much in our arrogance? I thought and thought but it seems that the third one is what happened. We were camping on this position for awhile now and we were openly taunting them with the smoke trail. Lady Krystyna was definitely a smart one and she used our own hubris against us, turning our seemingly perfect spot into a blatant target.

The commanders, seeing us helpless, seized the battle for themselves. Fatimah and I faintly went along with it as our army decided to take on the Polish-Lithuanian cannons and cavalry. Our infantry marched towards the Poles as their cannons blew the Balkan Ordusu into pieces. I turned around to the hill top and saw our artillery crews struggling to turn the cannons around and lower them in the panic. Not only did the cannons have to face the opposite direction and point downwards, but they had to be brought across the top of the hill top or else they will accomplish nothing but shooting the dirt in front of them. Eventually, their cannons stopped firing and their incessant bombardment was replaced by a thunderous cavalry charged. Cossacks who still pledged their allegiance to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth despite the border shifting, light hussars, western model cuirassiers, and, of course, the deadly winged hussars made their charge. I watched as impossibly long lances, deadly sabers, and vicious pistols devastated the front lines of my army. Death filled the air before finally the cavalry charge was over and the horsemen commanded by King Jan swung away and back to regroup, potentially for another deadly charge. I took the opportunity to take a deep breath.

That breath was ill-timed however as, once the horsemen were out of the way, the Polish artillery unleashed their arsenal once again - I guess they hadn't wasted all that much ammunition at Silistra and the Danube after all - but things were going from bad to worse. War cries behind us revealed that the Polish, Lithuanian, Transylvanian, Portuguese, and mercenary infantry were now coming back down the fill, the Prince of Transylvania commanding them. I scanned the top of the hill looking for our cannons but, when I found them, it only made everything worse. Polish infantry had captured our cannons and slaughtered our artillery crews. At the center of the top of the hill, I saw a small group of figures. I saw a Catholic priest on the left and a young yet decorated Polish officer on the right, but between them, I saw the woman that caused all of this. I saw Lady Krystyna. The pale blonde woman was dressed in a flowing red dress rather than any sort of military uniform. She appeared to be the picture of absolute elegance yet she was absolutely deadly. I couldn't really see her in so much detail from this distance, but I could tell that she was beautiful and I could practically feel her smirking. She was practically the definition of dangerous beauty and I knew that she would go far in this world, however, she intended to trample all over me to establish her greatness.

I glanced over at the Polish King sitting on horseback behind the Polish cannons. He tossed away the shattered wooden remains of his lance and readied his saber and his pistol for his next charge. A metal breastplate on his chest, a leopard skin adorning his saddle, and a pair of wings mounted to his saddle, designed to make his cavalry charges sound louder and more threatening while simultaneously deafening their horses so they wouldn't be so skittish around cannons. This man was the legal ruler of Poland but he had no real power, not anymore. This Lady Krystyna held all the real power. I could definitely see why Tsarina Anastasia saw potential in her and wanted her on the throne of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but she was not a mere Russian agent. Lady Krystyna would be hard to control. Having her as an ally and would-be subject could present a far bigger challenge for the so-called Princess of the Resurrection than I could ever be. The woman raised her arm and our own cannons were turned against us. I grabbed Fatimah and held on tight as the ground shook as the Poles fired over their troops and onto our own. Discipline collapsed all throughout the Ottoman ranks and the Poles and Lithuanians were crushing us from both sides. I pulled away from Fatimah but kept my arms on her, seeing that she was okay before locking eyes with her. We both knew that we had to retreat now before our army is completely shattered. I shouted the order at the top of my lungs and my commanders carried it out as best as they could, but our troops had ringing ears and fierce soldiers to contend to. The retreat was disorderly to say the least but Lady Krystyna called her troops back. The remains of the Balkan Ordusu were shepherded away from the battlefield.

* * *

"The Poles are already capitalizing on this victory. They're saying that they avenged the Crusade of Varna almost two centuries ago. The Christian world is eating it up." Fatimah solemnly reported. Our plans worked in Arabia against the Portuguese and their allies, our plans for to develop and modernize The Ottoman Empire seemed perfect, but every single plan we've developed for this war has failed. We attacked Georgia preemptively but the Russians, while not fully prepared, were prepared enough to halt us at Tskhumi and, with the recovered Georgians, they forced us to march through the freezing Caucasus Mountains. We planned to hold the line at Erivan, but the Persians interfered and effectively neutralized the mortars that were central to the city's defense. Without the mortars, the Russian guns chewed through Erivan just like they had against the Poles at Minsk, Kiev, and even Warsaw itself. We then moved to the Crimean front and we were doing quite well, saving Azov and pushing back the Russian Army of the Ukraine. Then the Poles finished their campaign in Moldavia crossed through Wallachia unopposed by the apathetic Prince. A combination of Spartak Pasha's political motivations and the actual threat Lady Krystyna represented forced us to move to the Balkans, said crossing resulted in our navy being thoroughly defeated at The Battle of Theodoro. Now, on the Balkan Peninsula, with all the advantages in the world we couldn't win a single battle. Perhaps the Catholics were right to celebrate The Battle of Varna. Such a massive victory was unexpected because The Ottoman Empire should be so much harder to beat. We failed on countless levels on this campaign.

My husbands wars were hardly fair. He fought against Theodoro, a poor and largely irrelevant Principality in Crimea and the Italian city-states of Genoa and Venice. A pair of Italian cities with a handful of colonies dotted around the Mediterranean and Black Seas were no match for the full might of The Ottoman Empire alone. My husband's only true challenge came against the Persians. Persia is a large and impressive state, however, the Qara Qoyunlu army is more along the lines of the armies of Arabia which we easily destroyed and the armies of the central Asian steppe than those of Europe. We rested on our laurels, the armies of Europe did not. The Habsburgs and the other Germans have become hardened by constant warfare against each other in this Catholic versus Protestant conflict while The Tsardom of Russia had The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to battle against. The Russians modernized their armies and leaned on their vast, open lands to raise could no longer lean on mere numbers or think that our armies were inherently superior. We had to learn from this war, adapt from it, and modernize our army, otherwise, we are doomed to fail again and again.

That is easier said than done however. Russia, as large as it is, is a continuous mass with the ability for the Russians to travel from their Muscovite core to any corner of their Empire, our Empire straddles the Mediterranean. It is downright unreasonable for an army to travel from Konstantiniyye to Algiers by land, however, a navy can make that much easier. We intended to use our navy in this war, but our navy showed its age here...and I suppose that asking a navy to sail into battle mere months after it sailed from Konstantiniyye to the Persian Gulf and back was quite demanding. Now that our navy has been defeated in battle, every time we want to ferry troops across the Mediterranean, we will have to put up with the Venetians or the Spanish or who knows who else trying to replicate Russia's success. Therefore, what we have been doing is keeping our armies in their regions. Perhaps we should have drawn on our troops from Egypt, North Africa, or Arabia in this war, but we didn't, we fought with our Anadolu Ordusu, our Balkan Ordusu, and our Kirim Ordusu. We did not want to leave the southern half of our Empire undefended and, in doing so, we hve forced ourselves to have to completely rebuild our northern armies once this war is over.

"Where is Tsarina Anastasia now?" I asked. There was no alternative anymore, we had to call for peace. We failed in Caucasia and I thought that we could avenge our loss in Crimea and when that didn't work I thought that we could at least defeat the Poles - after all, the only reason the Poles are fighting this war is because they got humiliated by the Russians in the last war - but we couldn't even do that. Our reputation was in tatters and it would have to remain in tatters while Fatimah and I rebuild our armies and modernized them. I had a distaste for war, however, I could recognize how actually attacking Sicily could be actually what The Ottoman Empire needs in order to shake fear into the hearts of Europe itself. Then, rather than European courts hearing about how the Poles avenged their loss at Varna or how the Russians smashed The Ottomans in a war we allegedly started, the Europeans would hear about how the Turks were powerful enough and bold enough to attack Italy itself. We would be on the Pope's doorstep. It may not last long and it may even reunite Christendom against us, however, it will restore our reputation and bring us into an era of peace by making our enemies think twice about attacking us.

"Tabriz - almost seventy thousand Russians are laying siege to the fortress." Fatimah revealed. Tabriz was a major fortress and, for a long time, it served as an obstacle to our expansion into Persia. Until Tabriz fell, it was impossible for us to push into Caucasia or down along the Persian Gulf, but once the old Qara Qoyunlu fell, the door was open for further expansion. My late husband took the opportunity to take Caucasia - leading to the current predicament - the fortress was now an obstacle in our favor. As fortified as the city is, I do not think it stand very long at all against seventy thousand Russians and probably two hundred cannons. I imagined that this was the combined force of the army that took Baku and Anastasia's army that destroyed us at the Battle of Tskhumi. The Russians were driving deep into The Ottoman Empire and we had no answer to them. Even if we hadn't lost to the Poles at the Battle of Varna, this news would probably drive us to calling for peace. Fatimah and I did not want to see the Russians take Tabriz and then ransack Baghdad.

"We have to return to Konstantiniyye and call for peace. Our armies are gone, our navy is gone, and continuing will only bring the war to Baghdad and Konstantiniyye. Caucasia, Crimea, and Moldavia are not worth that amount of fighting." I declared. A little bit of Romanian and Crimean steppe wasn't worth much - yes I was sad to see my home go after finally getting the brief chance to reconnect with it, but I could not justify sending any more men to die fighting a hopeless war for a place that has far more sentimental value than real value - or some rough mountain land. The fertile coastline of North Africa was our breadbasket, the economic nexus of the Indian Ocean, the Silk Road, and the Mediterranean was our money maker, and the great cities of Islam were our religious centers. Caucasia, Crimea, and Moldavia met little to the Empire all things considered. I didn't want to lose them, but at this point, it wasn't worth it. It was clear that Tsarina Anastasia wanted these lands more. They were more valuable for Russia than they would be for us.

Russia is large land, but it is far to the north and it is cold. An endless series of freezing cold winters would likely have devastated the Russian population had they not had the benefit of New World trade crops to grow in the hardy, cold soil. Russia has no direct access to these New World crops however, therefore, this is a high cost for The Tsardom of Russia. Russia has pushed east for Siberian gold and they have pushed west into more temperate farmlands once owned by The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Byelorussia and the Ukraine provides them with a food surplus and they have apparently taken a very considerable sum from Warsaw's coffers. This wealth and this food is fueling further Russian wars. Anastasia was finally able to access the Black Sea and move on Crimea because they know they want starve or go into bankruptcy any time soon. Simultaneously, Russia pushed south from Astrakhan to finally gain more control of the lands around the Caspian Sea. Russia would gain even more farmland and access to the Black and Mediterranean Seas in Crimea and, with Caucasia, they would gain a region long disputed between Russia, Persia, and The Ottoman Empire. This gave them a frontier to militarize and a front to attack Persia should they wish to link Caucasia with Central Asia once they finally complete their conquests of our Turkic brethren in the steppe. Of course, there is more to all this than crops and trade, but for Russia, this land truly is a major difference. By gaining Byelorussia, the Ukraine, Crimea, and Caucasia already in her reign that is only just beginning, Tsarina Anastasia is laying the foundation for a Russia that shall truly be unstoppable.

Tsarina Anastasia is perhaps the most powerful woman to ever reign in Europe and I am very likely the most powerful woman in the Islamic world. If we had not been on a collision course, we could have been wonderful allies - we could have crushed the so-called Holy Roman Empire, we could have divide Persia between us, and we could have forged an alliance that would keep the peace in Eurasia in a way not seen since the height of The Roman Empire - instead, we have been bitter rivals. Fatimah and I stood no chance against Anastasia and now we must beg her for peace.

* * *

Alright guys, this has been chapter twenty-seven of Romans and I managed to keep this one short...short by this story's standards anyway. Chapter twenty-eight will be a Russia chapter and the last chapter of open warfare. The peace negotiations will cover two chapters - the first from Helena's perspective, the second from Anastasia's - and that will take care of act two. Act three will be ten chapters and complete the story.

Ciao!


	28. True Heiresses of Rome

Alright guys, here we are with chapter twenty-eight of Romans. This is going to be a Russia chapter and the last chapter of active warfare in The Russo-Ottoman War. We'll follow the action at Tabriz and at Baghdad. Hope you enjoy.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXVIII.

True Heiresses of Rome.

* * *

In antiquity, the Roman and later the Byzantine Empires were constantly at war with the Persians. These wars would lead to ruin as the Arabs crushed them both underfoot - Persia became an Islamic country under the rule of the Caliphs while Constantinople itself was under siege in the 8th century. The Byzantines would repel these Arabs in the end and they would fight off countless more Islamic powers, from Arabs to Persians to Turks, however, constant in-fighting and the machinations of Catholic powers such as Venice and the crusaders would eventually doom the Byzantines. Constantinople would fall to the Turks in 1453 and the Sultan added a plethora of Persian titles to his long list - chief among these titles was Padishah, essentially meaning Great King and somewhat of a Turco-Persian equivalent of Emperor - a title still worn by the Sultan today. Now, however, purple banners were flying over an army marching into Persian land once more. Tabriz, the new bulwark protecting The Ottomans from the Persians, would fall to Russian cannons. Then, the road would be open for my troops to plunder Baghdad, giving me more money and more bullion for my increasingly ambitious plans for The Tsardom of Russia. If I could, I would cover all of Muscovy in gold at the expense of my enemies.

Well, not literally, that would be rather gaudy, not to mention impossibly expensive, however, this money, when combined with the money I took from the Polish treasury and Russia's own coffers, would fund the transformation of Russia from a rural Kingdom on the fringe of Europe to a superpower at the center of European politics. My palace, my citadel, and my administrative building in the heart of White Square forms the key to a new Moscow, a city that, just like my palace, will be the envy of Europe. My investments in southern Russia will transform the wild steppe into fertile farmland and the food source of many new cities and fortresses that will spread my authority well beyond the Muscovite core of my Tsardom. Finally, the rest of the gold will go towards my armies. My armies will grow even larger and remain on the cutting edge of technology, allowing me to cut through my enemies just like I did the Poles and the Turks. Russia is a vast land and thus we have a high population, even if it is spread across far more land and far less valuable land than the rest of Europe. Even in parts of Muscovy, the distance between cities can rival the distance between opposite ends of Kingdoms. However, the turmoil in Germany presents an opportunity for me.

The Holy Roman Empire is being ravaged by constant warfare and that definitely doesn't seem to be changing soon. Meanwhile, Russia is a massive and victorious realm with great tracts of arable land just waiting to be cultivated. Winters may be cold and long and famine is possible anywhere and everywhere, but in the lonely steppes of southern Russia, Germans farmers will at least be free of constant groups of foreign armies ravaging their farms regardless of religious affiliation. Not to mention the various Caucasian peoples such as Crimeans, Tatars, Armenians, Azeris, Georgians, and even some Turks, Persians, and Kurds from Ottoman Crimea and Caucasia who will have the opportunity to spread across Russia as well. I envision a ring of southern fortress cities stretching from Ochakiv and Azov in the west across the steppe all the way to the Pacific. These cities and fortresses will hold the line against Turks, peoples of the steppes, and eventually perhaps even the Chinese. The future of Russia is bright, because two Tsarinas of Russia are united together in every way possible, fully prepared to vanquish our enemies, expand our borders, and settle the endless lands to the south and east. Fittingly, all of this will be directed from the new Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace in Moscow.

"You seem happy." Yelizaveta smiled as we walked hand in hand next to our carriage with our troops. We were heading down a gentle descending mountain path towards Tabriz and, given that this was an easier part of the journey, we wanted to walk with the troops to raise morale. In our green uniforms, purple neckties, and my tricorne hat, we could pass for some sort of female soldiers. That idea was interesting, if I decided to add women to my army, I could double the size of it - now, let's go for a harsh and conservative estimate and say that a female soldier could be, at best, half as effective as a male soldier, such an advantage in numbers would be a huge benefit. On paper, it seemed like female soldiers were a good idea, however, that doesn't take many things into account. First of all, wives and daughters tend to manage farms and estates while their husbands, fathers, or sons are off fighting wars, second of all, going on the harsh estimation, female soldiers were half as effective as male soldiers but required just as much food, finally, the implications of a female soldier being captured by enemy troops were less than pleasant. I believed that female soldiers could be more effective than just half as good as male soldiers, however, I couldn't justify the other two problems. Female soldiers weren't going to happen, at least not now in the world of pikes, gunpowder, and cannons.

"How could I not be? The war is going well, Russia is on top of the world, and I have the most beautiful girl in the world in my hand." I smiled and gave her a quick peck on the lips - just long enough to not be noteworthy or suspicious - the soldiers, not particularly focused on a pair happy sisters, likely figured we were just affectionate with each other. They were not entirely wrong either, the fact that all of this started with me straddling my little sister over a book of erotic lesbian literature is illuminating to say the least. Speaking of that incident, I had a bit of a question for Yelizaveta "Speaking of, the book about Yekaterina and Tatiana, I practically crawled on top of you to take the book. I silent and blushing...it wasn't entirely about the book, was it?"

"Nope." Yelizaveta admitted shamelessly...she's only aged one year since then but she's come out of her shell ever since she came out of the closet for me "It was always about you. Even the servant girl I kissed...I never told you which servant girl it was. I kissed Kseniya, that blonde servant girl that kind of looked like you but with those weird, creamy, light brown eyes. I thought that was the closest I would ever get to you, so I kissed her and pretended she was blue eyes and I think I even asked her to put on one of your old dresses that mom didn't like and was going to throw away. She left and I was sad and lonely again, all until I found out you were gay too. I had hope then...and now, it's led to me being happier than ever. It led to us being happier than ever."

"So...did you scooch next to me in Minsk too?" I asked, wondering if that night in the tent was all just a clever bit of planning on Liz's part. I wouldn't even be mad to be honest, that kind of planning and willingness to do whatever it takes to get what she wants is exactly what will make Yelizaveta a wonderful Tsarina of Russia. Nevertheless, I would prefer if the incident truly did develop naturally. At this point, I was certain that I was absolutely in love with my little sister and I loved the idea that our mutual love was so strong we subconsciously found ourselves in each other's arms.

"That one I had nothing to do with, but I definitely didn't mind." Liz admitted. I was satisfied with that explanation, it was the best of both worlds. It meant that our mutual attraction was indeed incredibly strong but it also meant that Yelizaveta was a crafty one and that recognized an advantageous opportunity when she saw one. That was necessary for a truly successful Tsarina. My partnership with Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani was certainly not premediated but she offered me a chance of denying the English, the French, and the Dutch parts of India. If I want to be a major player in Europe, I will sooner rather than later find myself entangled in the complex web of alliances between these colonial powers. The French and the English are bitter rivals while the English are also supporting the Dutch in the rebellion against the Spanish, meanwhile, the French are supporting the Protestants against the Habsburgs, despite both France and Austria being Catholic. Thus, despite being rivals, France and England have currently found themselves both at odds with the Habsburgs.

This is complex system of interlocking alliances and rivalries will soon involve Russia, meaning that it is of strategic benefit for me to take India away from my rivals. After all, I have already established that it will be decades if not centuries before Russia will be able to reach India by itself and, while the Portuguese are our allies and currently have the largest presence in India and indeed the Indian Ocean as a whole, I do not trust that to last. The Portuguese approached us to join this war and I was all too eager to accept their help, however, they have done this because of how quickly their overstretched presence in the Indian Ocean crumpled against The Ottomans in Arabia. Terezia did well to never actually promise them Bahrain or Muscat back. That was their goal in this war but I wanted to preserve the strong Ottoman Empire after this war so I'm taking as little land as possible. That will likely lead to the alliance with Portugal crumpling. There is no real strategic reason for two realms at opposite ends of Europe with different enemies and allies to remain allies once our common war against the Turks was over and the Portuguese leave with drained coffers and nothing to show for it. Politics were opportunistic and I was ready to use the Portuguese, but, at the end of this war, they will have outlived their usefulness and the alliance will no longer be of use to me. My attention will shift from the Mediterranean and Black Sea region to the Baltic.

The Kingdom of Sweden has grown strong and seeks to become even stronger. Scania and Gotland have fallen from Denmark, Jamtland from Danish ruled Norway, and currently occupies various coastal territories along the northern edge of The Holy Roman Empire. The fact that the Swedes have invested in building up fortifications and docks in Pomerania and Bremen suggests that they have no intention of giving up these German territories. Adolphus Rex likely envisions himself as the first Protestant Holy Roman Emperor in the waiting, waiting to be crowned by various Protestant German electors whilst the Habsburgs grovel at his feet, defeated and humiliated. I didn't want this to happen, I had no religious stake, other than perhaps being sympathetic to the Catholics due to our alliance with Lady Krystyna, but I did not want Sweden getting any stronger. The Livonian Order, a Catholic order reigning over the Baltics, is increasingly coming under the control of Lutheran German nobles with links to Stockholm. The secularization of The Livonian Order will likely trigger a massive war throughout the Baltic Sea region, a war where I intend to call in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I will have Swedish Livonia surrounded from east and south. The Poles have become my subjects, The Ottomans are already crushed and will likely beg for a treaty soon, and soon, Sweden will fall too, then the Khanates to the east, then, anyone else who dares resist my rule.

"Well I'm glad we're together. It seems right in a way. I want to share everything with you - my ideas, my success, my failures, my conquests, all of Russia - I couldn't do that with Krystyna. We couldn't be equals because I needed her to be subservient politically while she needed to do everything in her power to strengthen The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Here, we're on the same side. My success is your success. Your success is my success. I love Krystyna and I want her to be happy, but juggling a dominant political relationship and a healthy romantic relationship is a toxic situation. The only thing toxic with you are the labels people will put on our relationship...but I don't care about these, if anything, they're a turn-on now. Letting go of all that was the best decision of my life and I cannot wait until we're finally sharing a bed in our palace together." I whispered to Yelizaveta. I wanted to pour my heart out to her. Everything was going so well and I could finally enjoy it, free from the shackles of social expectations and bloodlines. We were together now and nothing was going to change that. The present and future Tsarinas, united in beauty, united in blood, and now, united in love.

We were unstoppable together and Tabriz would be the first target to feel our combined wrath. Seventy thousand Russians commanded by two of the most powerful women history will ever know, when the Russian Imperial Army and the Army of the Caucasus unite at the walls of Tabriz, Turks and Persians alike will shake before the power of Russia.

* * *

"Hello my Tsarina." General Feodorov bowed before me. Rising back up, the General detailed the Siege of Tabriz. The Army of the Caucasus had surrounded the city and the added forces and artillery from the Russian Imperial Army will solidify our grasp, doubling the number of cannons beating down on the walls and filling any potential gaps in our defenses. Tabriz would either watch as its walls fell, suffer as its people starved, or watched as its garrison is imprisoned following a humiliating surrender. They seemed too stubborn to take the third option, but we had the entire year ahead of us, we were more than capable of spending all of 1624 laying siege to this city, kept strong by our supply lines extending from occupied Yerevan and Baku. True, we were far from Russia and we would only get further as we pressed for Baghdad, however, considering that our caravans were able to cross that distance safely after we crushed any and all Ottoman resistance in the area, we were never too far away from Russian supplies. Mikhailovich and Feodorov were quick to divide up sectors of the siege, moving around their troops so that neither General would be in command of a single one of the other's troops. Seeing the generals preoccupied with the chain of command and getting to be the one who gets the glory for breaking Tabriz, Liz and I retreated to the camp site. We sat down next to the campfire while the troops worked on setting up all the tents. We were soon joined by Yasamin, the Indo-Persian noblewoman with far-reaching ambitions was quickly becoming a friend of mine.

Yelizaveta took my hand and, after seeing that the coast of clear, the two of us shared a kiss. I gave Liz a quick peck on the lips, just long enough that I could savor the feeling of her lips against mine. We had to break contact sooner than I would like but it was necessary. The happiness Liz and I were sharing would all be torn away if news of such sin ever got out. No amount of absolutism or success could justify incest to the people. I controlled the Russian Orthodox Church but that didn't mean that I could sin and get away with it. If Yelizaveta and I were caught in an incestuous relationship, the Church, the pious peasants, and the opportunistic nobles would band together to rip us off the thrones we were born and raised to occupy. So, Liz and I had to settle for fleeting kisses, held hands, and needy glances. We were in one of those long glances when we heard Yasamin giggle. Blushing, we turned to the Persian woman with a South Indian mother. We did not regret our kiss, but both of us had to admit, her giggling at our kiss was rather embarrassing.

"You two are so cute together." Yasamin pointed out. I didn't appreciate being made fun of, however, I would likely feel a similar way if our roles were reversed. It was hard not to feel jovial when in the presence of two people utterly in love with one another. Her glistening brown skin looked wonderful with a pleasant expression on her face. Yasamin had gone through various outfits during her time with the camp - some more militaristic, some feminine but still practical, other outfits were just loose dresses - but today she was in a light dress that, while not particularly fancy, would not look too out of place in a European court. It certainly looked beautiful on her, perhaps that was because she elevated the outfit to a higher standard, with almost any garment looking beautiful on her. Yelizaveta was on the same level, my little sister was beautiful in anything and I'm sure she would say the same about me. Yasamin was not my type but she was certainly an attractive woman and the dress suited her well. I was glad to see her in it. I figured that this would be a longer siege and I would see her go through a plethora of outfits, but I liked this one. Liz and I too would likely be in a similar predicament, even with the resources to wash clothes, we don't have enough of these feminine military uniforms to get us through a lengthy siege, we would have to switch to various dresses and outfits through the duration.

"Have you ever had someone?" Yelizaveta asked, trying to shift the subject away from our own embarrassment. I was interested in this subject too, after all, I still didn't know all too much about Yasamin's romantic life other than she was attracted to me and that she doesn't intend to reproduce. She intended to pass the succession along through her uncle and her cousins, similar to how Liz and I wanted to pass Russia to our nieces or nephews via Sofiya. I wanted to accomplish this through a matrilineal marriage, meaning that these heirs would be tracked through the matrilineal line rather than the patrilineal - meaning that, when Sophie has children, they will be of our dynasty rather than her father's - this is obviously against the typical practice of Europe, however, there is a chance that we could accomplish this in Europe, in the Islamic world, such a move would not be possible. Therefore, perhaps Yasamin may be a bisexual or something along those lines but needs to pass the dynasty through her relatives anyway ensuring that her second Bahmanid Sultanate is truly a Bahmanid Sultanate. Lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise, I was eager to find out more about Yasamin, after all, the woman would come to Moscow to form a government and prepare for an invasion of the Deccan in south India. This would likely take a long time and thus leave the woman in Moscow for a long time, allowing me to incorporate Yasamin into my government and use her to benefit Russia as much as possible. In order to work with the woman in such a capacity, Yelizaveta and I had to get to know her.

"Yes, twice." Yasamin answered before telling the story "My father's third wife was my mother, but he married once more after that when I was thirteen. My stepmother, Gulnara, was a sixteen year old Azerbaijani woman whose father married her off to mine. Gulnara had no interest in my father, but she quickly became interested in me. For a precious few months, we were absolutely in love with each other. She touched me in ways I never thought possible and I tried my best to do the same to her, but it couldn't last forever. Eventually, my father got sick of her stalling and trying to avoid consummating the marriage. He offered her an ultimatum - consummate the marriage that night or be sent back to her father without her dowry returned. Gulnara had too much pride and she was completely unwilling to bend. She went home and, the last I heard, her father had disowned her for such a disgrace. I don't know what's become of her since."

"Why didn't you mention this when I told you about how I felt for Liz? I didn't realize you had a similar experience." I asked, sure it still would be abnormal, but I would have felt way better about starting this relationship if I at least knew that such things happened in the world. Of course, now I can't understand how people could possibly resist this, but before realizing this, I almost denied myself happiness and love. Sure, in the end, Yasamin managed to get me to convince myself regardless, but still, such information would have been an utter revelation back down, even now I find it surprising and relieving. Yasamin is a completely different person from me, coming for an utterly different background, and the relationship she had with her stepmother was different as well, but the end result was still the same. She found incestuous love. Knowing this, I almost wanted to openly and fully kiss Liz, but I knew better than that and I managed to restrain myself.

"It's not quite the same. You two grew up with each other and share a blood relation, you are family in ever sense of the word. Gulnara was married to my father, sure, but she wasn't my mother, nor was she ever a maternal figure for me. From my perspective, she was a slightly older girl who was in love with me in a false marriage with my father. The marriage wasn't even fully carried out because they never had sex. I don't mean to offend but...if incest is a sin, what I did doesn't hold a candle to the relationship you share. Don't get me wrong, I think what you have is beautiful and, if I were you, I would be in that relationship too, but I've never been in such a situation and I don't think I ever will be." Yasamin explained. I thought about it as she spoke and I could see where she was coming from. She was a stepmother, sure, but her true mother was alive too and Gulnara was barely older than Yasamin was, it was hardly a true maternal relationship. The fact that the marriage was never consummated also would lead some to say it was never really a marriage at all, so, from a certain perspective, there was no real relation at all in Yasamin's case. Islamic societies allow for polygamy and, while the practice is really only still carried out by farmers, nobles, and rulers - not even ubiquitously in those cases - in cases where it does happen, like Yasamin's life, I guess it produces a family dynamic very unlike that of Europe.

In Europe, I would only have a stepmother or stepfather if my mother died before my father did or if my mother decided to remarry for whatever reason, respectively. If I had a stepmother, she would have to assume the maternal role because there is no clear other source for it, not for me anyway, however, I suppose that is different in a society which allows for polygamy. Yasamin's mother fit the maternal role for her quite well and thus, there was no room for Gulnara in her family unit. In fact, looking at Islamic history, there are incidents in which the wives of a deceased Sultan would actually fight each other to put their sons on the throne. So perhaps, Yasamin may be conditioned to see Gulnara as just some other woman who happens to be married to her father. I would especially get this impression if Yasamin's south Indian mother made her particular family unit a bit of an outcast compared to her father's other wives, who, from the sounds of it, are Persian or Azerbaijani or from another such culture hailing from the region, perhaps a Turkmen or a Kurd or even an Arab. Persians, Azerbaijanis, Turkmen, Kurds, and Arabs have all impacted the Caucasus region at one point or another in history and all of them have left their mark in one way or another, so it makes sense for the Persian administrator of Yerevan to have married into those cultures before getting pushed out by Ottoman conquest. The south Indian wife would be somewhat of an outsider in that scenario. I suppose it made sense as a family dynamic, as foreign as it was from my perspective. With so many wives and children, it makes sense that these more polygamist Muslim families would sort of adopt a families within a family sort of model. Satisfied with her explanation, I decided to inquire about the lingering strand of Yasamin's love life.

"The second time was a bit more recent, after I already left my father and began plotting my conquests. I came across this beautiful Afghan and Gujarati Muslim girl while on a trip to India to see the political situation for myself. She was captivated with me and my ideas for a grand new Sultanate in southern India, something to breathe life into southern end of the subcontinent after the Mughals were halted by Vijayanagar. I loved talking with her, I loved how she bad a similar background to me - caught between the Indian and Persian worlds, and I loved how, with her, I could press my conquests and my ambition further than the old Bahmanid Sultanate could ever hope for. She certainly had admiration for me, but she didn't love me the way I loved her. She was heterosexual and even somewhat homophobic. I couldn't bare to keep in contact with her after that. Once I left Ahmedabad to continue my tour of India, I didn't try for another relationship. I was attracted to other women, one in particular, but she had her sights on someone else already." Yelizaveta probably thought that Yasamin was referring to some other Persian or Indian women, but I knew better than that. Yasamin felt something for me, something which compelled her to stay with our army at the camp, something which compelled her to accept our incestuous relationship, something which compelled her to reveal her relationship with her stepmother. Krystyna fell for me, Yasamin fell for me, hell, my own little sister fell for me...I wasn't complaining, but what was it about me that attracted powerful women?

I was beautiful, that was true. I had come to appreciate my blonde, blue-eyed complexion and my smooth pale skin more once I realized how mesmerizing I found those very same qualities in Yelizaveta. I could see myself falling for me, but I was my own type - Krystyna and Yelizaveta were proof enough that I had an attraction to pale blondes - but what about the others? Well, Liz definitely has a type that looks like me, but I think that's more because of her fixation with me than me happening to meet the look she liked. Terezia was a bit of an exception to Liz's pattern, but even then, Terezia has some features in common with me. The pale skin being a superficial commonality and her nature as a talented stateswoman was another thing we shared. Krystyna, meanwhile, I didn't know much about her type, however, from the Polish noblewomen she associated with, I could definitely see that she had at least an implicit preference for fair complexions. Yasamin defied this though, between an Azerbaijani girl and an Afghan-Gujarati girl, it is clear that, until now, Yasamin has preferred darker complexions. Caramel skin and silky black hair, not ivory skin and rich blonde hair.

I suppose then it must be something derived from my personality. I had already theorized that Yelizaveta's love for me stemmed from admiration for her older sister. She wanted to be with me because she was impressed by my ambition, how effortlessly I could manage those Muscovite nobles Liz considered so bothersome, and how time and time again I managed to broaden my horizons and raise my goals. I would not be satisfied with doing the impossible and utterly defeating The Ottomans, I wanted the Swedes and Khanates crushed under foot as well. I could see how attraction could develop for that and, once Liz realized it was possible, she showed incredible growth as a political, social, and military leader for Russia. I gave her a reason to look at what she considered the dreadful side of Moscow and she overcame all of it. I understand that love. As for Krystyna, I was actually trying to get her to love me in order to forget Yelizaveta and, because of her sexuality and the fact we were similarly ambitious and powerful women, we seemed like a natural match. The only problem is that we found our ambition and our power to be on opposing ends. Yasamin could be a combination of these reasons and a development of the fact that she was grateful to finally find a ruler and a court willing and able to help her with her plans for India. So attraction mixed with admiration mixed with commonality, I suppose that can explain how I've managed to get the future King of Poland, the future Tsarina of Russia, and the potential Sultana of a Sultanate on the Deccan to fall in love with me. I was flattered by it all and I hoped that Yelizaveta would appreciate me even more now, if such a thing were even possible, but I did think it was all a little excessive.

* * *

The spring of 1624 turned into summer as the Siege of Tabriz continued. Russian cannons from two armies battered the walls of the Ottoman fortress city and our troops marched around the cities. Gold and black flags and purple banners circled Tabriz endlessly. Other groups of soldiers began digging trenches near the weaker areas of the wall - our soldiers wanted to establish a position from which they could attack if the walls fell - these were the same areas which our cannons were hitting the hardest time and time again. The defenders must have been desperately hoping for a relief force to arrive, but we already knew that there was nothing coming. We defeated the Turks from Anatolia while General Perevernykruchenko and our naval forces won the Crimean front with the Battle of Theodoro - taking Azov was now just a formality. In Europe, the situation for the Ottomans was dire as Lady Krystyna lead her troops through Wallachia into The Ottoman Empire proper. The Ottomans had no response for us, their armies in North Africa and Arabia were too far away and too concerned with holding their Empire together to have any effect on this war. So, once again, our cannons fired and the walls of Tabriz shook.

"My Tsarina," General Mikhailovich greeted with a slight bow - he still did not like my rule, but at least he was making an effort to pay respect and show appreciation for his ruler "News has arrived from the Balkans, the Poles met the Turks in battle at Varna. The Ottomans were outmaneuvered and slaughtered at the battle and Lady Krystyna is spreading word of her victory throughout Europe. She has written you personally of her victory."

"Thank you, General." I thanked Mikhailovich and dismissed him as I grabbed the letter. I sat down next to Yelizaveta and we began to read it together. The future King of Poland had very deliberately marked the letter as secret and urgent. She wanted it to reach me just as soon, if not before, news of her victory spread to the Middle East. Opening it up, however, I saw that there was another reason she marked the letter as secret. Lady Krystyna was clearly still in love with me and she made no secret of that in her letter.

_My beloved Anastasia, Tsarina of all Russia,_

_We won. The Armia z Besarabia absolutely demolished the Turks at Varna. News of my victory is spreading throughout Europe like wildfire. Bela, Hungarian priest who was with me, called it the Second Battle of Varna. He said that the King of Poland and the Prince of Transylvania, under the command of a woman who claims both lands, avenged the death of Wladyslaw IV, the King of Poland and Hungary who died at Varna on November 10th, 1444. This victory is exactly what I need to get the respect and admiration of the Catholic world. I am now certain that, between my victory and your influence, the Sejm will choose me to replace Jan the Prussian once he dies. Prince Matyas, meanwhile, has declared that, if he does not have a heir when he dies, Transylvania will be mine. Everything is set for my election in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and my inheritance of the Hungarian throne. The battle could not have gone better._

_I know you, my pretty. The Siege of Tabriz must be blazing just in front of you but your mind is already working hard to figure out how I did it. I won't keep you in suspense though, I love you too much for that. The Ottoman campfires left trails of smoke a mile high in the sky, we knew we were walking into an ambush. I sent my scouts ahead to observe their positions and they revealed everything. The Turks planned to force us into a valley between two hills and slaughter them. I moved my infantry through a forest to distract them, making them think we were about to advance out of the woods and into their trap, however, all the while my cannons and cavalry moved around the position. Once they were ready, Johann led the cavalry charge and artillery against their rear. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier rushed to turn the army around to counter us, however, I then ordered Prince Matyas to advance the infantry through the trap and hit the Turks in their new rear position, meanwhile, I led a small contingent of the infantry to seize the Ottoman cannons. We had them surrounded by both sides halfway down a hill with their own guns turned against them. It wasn't even a massacre, it was an execution._

_I let their leadership flee, as you had commanded. This is the perfect moment for us my dear, the Turks are shattered on every front. Ransack Tabriz and Baghdad, tear the wealth from The Ottoman Empire just like you did to my country, then, it will be time for us to rip The Ottomans apart piece by piece in a treaty. I cannot wait to see you at the negotiations, it will finally be a moment of closure for the both of us. You will be on top of the world and I will be riding a wave to glory that will take my ambitions all across eastern Europe. My name is circulated throughout Europe as the one who defeated the Turks in battle and I will use that reputation to justify an opportunistic move. Adolphus Rex, the King of Sweden, is tearing across Saxony, wreaking havoc on the Catholic Electorate. It is obvious that his next target is Bohemia, the place where this religious struggle began. I will wait for Bohemia to fall to the Swedes and I will swoop in like a heroine, saving the Czechs from the villainous Swedes and doing what the Habsburgs could not._

_I will need to be ambitious and strong, I will need to face many enemies, and I will need to negotiate the politics of Europe, but I am sure that I can do it. I learned from you, the most beautiful, intelligent, and wonderful woman Russia has ever seen. We may only meet in person once more, but know that I love you and always will, even if both you and I must move on and find other women to love and cherish. You taught me everything I need to know to be a great woman and give you a wall of powerful and diverse allies to protect your western border. Never again will Russia have to wage border conflicts with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, or anyone else in Europe. I will ensure that Moscow becomes the center of an impenetrable sphere of Russian influence. We will all be united and we will all be sovereign, we will be strong apart and invincible together. Just like I wish we could have been. I love and miss you Anastasia, the months we shared at Kolomenskoye were some of the best in my life._

_With love,_

_Krystyna Wlodzislawa, Szlachianka._

I smiled softly as Liz ran her finger across a tear falling down my cheek. Krystyna really did love me and despite the fact she wanted what was best for Poland and I wanted what was best for Russia, she valued my teachings and my ambitions. We may disagree over just how sovereign the states she establishes will be - she would like them to be willing allies of Russia, I see them as glorified client states - but we agree on what they are supposed to represent. This is a compromise that I can live with. I also am eternally impressed at her ambition and her energy. Just like I am already plotting on battling the Swedes before the war against The Ottomans is even over, she is plotting to become Queen of Bohemia before she is elected to be King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania. I am also impressed at her deal with Prince Matyas, she has laid the foundation of her Kingdom of Hungary while merely being a particularly powerful Polish noblewoman. I looked up from the letter to see bricks falling from a section of Tabriz's walls and a group of Ottoman Persian defenders rushing to patch up the damage as quickly as possible - Krystyna was right, it would indeed soon be time to negotiate with Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier - I would, of course, plunder Baghdad first, but, sooner rather than later, we would be making peace. I turned to Yelizaveta, my tears replaced with a grin, I knew exactly where to host the negotiations.

* * *

"The walls have collapsed! Charge!" General Feodorov shouted to his men as the wall collapsed in one of his sections, much to Mikhailovich's chagrin. The bricks hit the ground and the dust had only just cleared when Russians poured in, slaughtering the Persians forced to defend the city by the Turkish commanders who fell next. The defenders turned inward and that allowed us to shatter the walls and defenses in countless areas. Mikhailovich turned his attention to a section of wall that collapsed ahead of his own men, Dmitri shouted at them and scrambled his forces into the walls, desperate to beat his rival general to actually taking the city. Discipline amongst the Ottoman defenders shattered. Some Turkish commanders tried to flee, others were killed by our men, others yet were overthrown by their own. Suddenly, just as our men were pouring into the city, Persians began pouring out with their armies raised above their heads - they would rather surrender to the Russians than die fighting for the Turks. I watched as Yasamin smirked and approached the Persian soldiers.

The surrendering Persians definitely seemed to be surprised to be speaking to a Persian noblewoman all the way around here and I couldn't quite identify what was going on, however, I watched as their expressions turned to surprise, then shock, but then, elation. Yasamin raised her hand and halted the celebrations before turning to me, an expectant expression on her face. The woman effortlessly switched from her natural Persian accent speaking in her mother tongue to her perfect Russian, asking me a rather surprising section.

"What do you think about letting this men free? After all, they killed about as many Turkish commanders as we did just now." Yasamin pointed out. I saw the slight smirk on her face and I knew that she was up to more than she was letting on. This wasn't about them overthrowing the Turks at all, this was about her plans for India and the fact that she had a couple hundred Persian veterans standing in front of her.

"What are they going to do once they are free?" I narrowed my eyes and I prodded. I Knew what Yasamin was up to and I was likely going to approve it, however, I needed her to be honest with me and I wanted to know how exactly she intended to get from free a couple hundred Persians to having an army waiting for her in India when she hasn't even began forming a Bahmanid government in Moscow yet.

"They are going to return to their homes and spread news of my ambitions. Those who want to create a Shia state in southern India are welcome to come and fight for me when the time is right, those who do can expect titles and status appropriate for their contributions." Yasamin answered. I understood now, this wasn't about forming an army now, this was about spreading the word throughout Shia Persia, so that she could attract soldiers, bureaucrats, and officials to her cause from right out and under the Turkmen lords of Persia...doing this out of the former Qara Qoyunlu capital no less. Very well then, just as I received news of Krystyna's plans for the Czech lands, I would allow Yasamin to put her plans for the Deccan in motion.

"Very well then, let the spread of Russian influence begin!" I cried out and Yasamin followed. Tabriz had fallen, Turkish control of this border region was now questionable at best, and Yasamin's plan for creating a Russian ally in southern India was now made into reality. Word would spread throughout Persia, letting her future soldiers learn of the cause and likely bringing many of her potential government members to Moscow. With one siege, I defeated the Turks, undermined the Persians, and made sure my enemies would be denied ports in India. The Russo-Ottoman War was virtually ever and I guaranteed that Russia would go from the periphery to the focus in both Europe and Asia. Now, all there was left to do was to leave Baghdad in ruins and take the riches of the Golden Age of Islam to Moscow, for now, it was time for the Muscovite Golden Age.

* * *

The Abbasid Caliphate moved the Islamic capital from Damascus to Baghdad, the crossroads of the Arab and Persian worlds. The city was the home of The Abbasid Caliphate until the Mongols sacked the city. The city would recover, never quite as major as it was during the Abbasid era, however, it remained the capital of Iraq and hosted a number of Emirates and even a Sultanate or two. Baghdad would be sacked once again by the Timurids and then wound up under Qara Qoyunlu rule for a time before The Ottomans expanded into Mesopotamia. The history of Baghdad has been tumultuous to say the least and I will ensure that it is sacked once again. The wealth and riches of the Iraqi city will flow to Moscow.

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers have hosted civilizations ever since the dawn of human history. Ancient Mesopotamia breathed life into the world with agriculture and the first cities. Next came the reign of the Babylonians and the Assyrians, the first of the city-states gave way for the first Empires - contrary to what the Europeans insist, large and powerful Empires are the natural evolution of civilization. Russia will stretch from the Baltic to the Pacific, an Empire spanning the northern half of the world, unmistakable on a map - Mesopotamia would then become the geographical center of the ancient Persian Empire. This feature would be exploited by the Macedonians when Seleucus, one of the Diadochi, made his capital in the region. Seleucia became Ctesiphon under the Parthians and remained Persia's capital until the Islamic conquest. Now, Baghdad stands over the ruins of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, an extension of the ancient Persian world. Muscovite troops, representing the true heirs of the Roman world, would finally sack Baghdad and bring the countless Roman-Persian Wars to the conclusion they never really had because of the unexpected arrival of Arab Muslim interlopers on the world stage. Centuries of history have unknowingly built up to this event.

Purple banners encircled Baghdad just like the Romans and Byzantines had wished they were able to encircle Ctesiphon. Primordial walls and modern defensive works alike came together to keep us out of Baghdad. I had to imagine that some of these defenses dated back to when the Byzantine Empire itself still existed. The Byzantines wish that they were able to circle Baghdad like this and stop their Abbasid enemies. Now, Baghdad may not be as significant as it once was and it is far from the capital of The Ottoman Empire, but the city remains wealthy, populous, and a regional center...perhaps this sacking may change that but the Mongols couldn't change that and the Timurids couldn't change that. The Mongols were masters of the steppe, so much so that they forced my Medieval ancestors to capitulate and pay tribute, then the Timurids slaughtered thousands upon thousands of people on their rampage across western Asia, however, The Tsardom of Russia dominates the steppe in a way that both of them have failed to replicated. The Tsardom of Russia has accomplished that which our rivals on the vast plains could not - we actually tamed the steppe and we are on the cusp of settling and cultivating those lands.

Yelizaveta and I sat on a tarp over a sandy hill with a parasol over us, shielding our pale skin from the harsh sun. We were very far away from Russia now. Leading the Russian army on campaign has brought us to places where we would never go otherwise. Even Minsk and Kiev, one a major city of Russia, the other the former capital and historical center of Russian civilization, are not places that the Tsarina of Russia and her heiress would necessarily go to. Warsaw is not a place we would necessarily go to, however, we went there, we we brought down the city, and we signed a treaty there. I certainly would not have found my way to places like Yerevan or Tabriz or Baghdad. I was glad that Liz and I decided to lead our armies together. I love that we first had intimate contact in Minsk, I love that we slept in the same bed outside of Warsaw, and I love that we had a borderline sexual experience at Trebizond, the place where many of our common ancestors reigned. I treasured all of those experiences, but it felt right that we had those experiences and then we would return to Moscow to see the city reborn in order to finally make love within the walls of our new palace, the palace bearing our names. Though first, we had to sack Baghdad and we had to sign a treaty with The Ottomans. I felt my cheeks blush and my body fill with anticipation was I realized that, everyday, we were getting closer and closer to the day that I would take my little sister's virginity. I would be the only person to ever have sex with the next Tsarina of Russia, that made me feel more powerful than any title.

"Do you think they're calling for peace yet?" Yelizaveta asked. The Ottomans were soundly defeated and they knew that, the longer this war lasted, the more damage we would do to their Empire. Of course Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier would try and make peace before we did something as outrageous as sacking Baghdad. Their calls for peace would fall on death ears, however, as my army has already reached Baghdad and we have not marched seventy thousand men all the way down here just to leave empty-handed. Helena should consider herself lucky that we aren't going to target Damascus or Anatolia before the end of the war. The reason why I won't is because I don't want to cripple The Ottoman Empire, I don't want to cause any radical changes in the balance of power or leave a vacuum for my enemies to fill. I may have to accept that the Turks may lose a bit of land to our enemies. The Persians will almost certainly make a move for Tabriz once their treaty is over and I have to believe that the Habsburgs will attack The Ottomans. I can accept the Persians retaking Tabriz but I do not want the Habsburgs getting much stronger. The so-called Holy Roman Emperor not only lays claim to a Roman inheritance which is rightfully mine, but the Austrian Habsburgs reign over Bohemia and parts of Hungary whilst the Spanish Habsburgs reign over Naples, the exact regions which Lady Krystyna lays claim to. The Habsburgs and The Ottomans will both lose land to my dear friend and former lover, but wars against each other will complicate Krystyna's conquests.

"I'm sure they already are, but I see an easy target in front of me and a beautiful woman next to me on this tarp. I see no reason to stop now." I smirked before stealing a kiss with Yelizaveta. Baghdad was defended but so were Tabriz, Trebizond, Yerevan, Baku, Azov, Iasi and any other fortresses and fortified cities that fell to Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Georgian, Portuguese, Transylvanian, and Yveson's troops one after the other. This coalition of The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Principality of Transylvania, The Kingdom of Georgia, The Kingdom of Portugal, and English economic interests in the form of William Yveson and his Black Sea Company - represented by that group of Scottish mercenaries he hired to fight for our cause - has accomplished more than countless alliances and coalitions against The Ottomans ever have before. We defeated their armies, occupied their lands, and now, we're going to drag the wealth of one of their greatest and largest cities back to Moscow.

Baghdad, the crossroads of the Middle East, would continue to resist through the rest of the summer of 1624 and into the fall, but its fall was inevitable. We cracked through the walls and our soldiers tore into the city. General Mikhailovich and General Feodorov competed for which army would confiscate the most wealth. Banks were raided, mansions were ransacked, and treasures were ripped from their hiding places. The most impressive part of the sacking was the relative order of it all. The soldiers did not descend into slaughter or savagery - the commanders kept them in line - they only took wealth from where we allowed it. Our soldiers did not pillage Mosques, defile women, or turn over houses in hopes of finding something shiny. That was the most impressive accomplishment of Mikhailovich and Feodorov, they gave me two large, powerful, and disciplined armies.

By the end of it, our joined army was escorting a convoy of carriages back to Russia. Mikhailovich was in charge of getting the wealth back to Moscow - where Terezia would make sure nothing was left unaccounted for when compared to Liz and I's manifest - while Feodorov would be in charge of demobilizing the troops. Terezia would handle paying the generals before meeting Yelizaveta and I at Konstantinovskaya, King Constantine IV's Russo-Georgian retreat in the Caucasus mountains. Our mother had taken us there a few times during our childhood and I felt it represented the perfect place to make peace between. It was in Georgia, a country where much of the early fighting of this war occurred, it was located between The Tsardom of Russia and The Ottoman Empire, and it was relatively secluded. We would be able to negotiate exactly what we wanted without being disturbed. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier would need to be there, obviously, but I was also going to invite Lady Krystyna, Prince Matyas, King Constantine, and the rest of our allies. Our victory would be a celebration.

* * *

Alright guys, this has been chapter twenty-eight of Romans. The final two chapters of act two will follow The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya from first the Ottoman and then the Russia perspective. Chapter thirty-one will start act three. Next week I will post chapter eight of Secrets of The Outer Rim, that's all I got.

I love you, peace out!


	29. The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya: Part I

Hello everybody! Here we are with the end of act two. This is the last Ottoman chapter of The Russo-Ottoman War in the penultimate chapter overall. Helena's next chapter will be either chapter thirty-two or chapter thirty-three - thirty and thirty-one are for sure Russia chapters, not sure which way I want to go with chapter thirty-two just yet - there is more Russia story in act three but the Ottoman story line will be absolutely crucial, so we'll see how exactly it shakes out. In any case, lets finish act two before talking about act three. This Ottoman chapter and the next Russia chapter will finish act two.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXIX.

The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya - Part I.

* * *

We had called for peace in the spring of 1624, however, it wasn't until after Baghdad fell and the year turned to 1625 that the Russians were receptive. Nevertheless, the summer and fall had been relatively inactive and, as usual, they gave way to a silent winter. Now, just as the Georgian mountain snow was beginning to melt, we were here at a royal Georgian resort to meet with our Russian-led foes. Fatimah and I stood at the steps of Konstantinovskaya, looking out at Tiflis in the distance. We had occupied the city at one point, two years ago now, but we were turned back by the Russians at Tskhumi and forced into the mountains by the Georgians soon after. The mountain march destroyed our chance of winning the war before it had even began.

Tsarina Anastasia and King Constantine IV had left us no choice: we were either going to try to fight two armies at once from opposite sides or we were going to march into the mountains and let the cold kill our troops. Either way, the Anadolu Ordusu was going to be annihilated and the Russians would sweep across Caucasia, erasing our gains and making their own. We had a chance to at least prolong the war by taking Crimea, diverting Russian attention, and using the extra time to build up an army, but in that time, Lady Krystyna and her Polish forces had absolutely demolished our defenses in the Balkans. This triggered the naval disaster at Theodoro and having the Balkan Ordusu outmaneuvered and slaughtered at Varna. We traded disaster for disaster in this war and, right now, Konstantiniyye is basically defenseless. Once Fatimah and I return home, treaty in hand, we will have to rebuild the Balkan and Anadolu armies first and foremost. After that, well, with any luck we'll be able to return to a peaceful agenda and develop our magnificent Empire. Though I suspect Europe's belligerence and Fatimah's wish to avenge the Ottoman army's pride will lead us into yet more wars sooner rather than later. I shook my head, grabbed my wife's hand, and we walked together up the steps.

"Sultana Helena, Grand Vizier Fatimah." I turned to see a familiar Hungarian brunette walking up the steps behind us and speaking Arabic, a rare trait, one which revealed to me exactly who she was. She stood next to two blonde women. One I recognized as Lady Krystyna, the other I didn't know. Looking down to the base of the steps, I saw that two carriages had just arrived. One from Russia, but without any royal symbols - meaning that it did not belong to Tsarina Anastasia - the other from Poland, but that one presumably belonged to Lady Krystyna. The Hungarian woman reintroduced herself and introduced her friends "Bathory Terezia, once Portugal's reluctant choice as a diplomat, now the Russian Foreign Minister. I will be translating for the negotiations, as well as representing Portugal one last time. This is Lady Krystyna, representing the interests of both The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Principality of Transylvania, I am told you should be quite aware of her after the Second Battle of Varna. This is Scholastyka Wettyn, Poland's junior representative and also her understudy."

I was rather surprised to see that the Hungarian woman had found herself in Russia of all places, but, for whatever reason, I was happy to see the grey-eyed woman who wanted to replace her father as Portugal's diplomat to Transylvania. I was pleased to see that Tsarina Anastasia clearly did care for putting ambitious and talented women into powerful positions in her state - it is a policy that I wish Fatimah and I could implement, though having her as Grand Vizier was controversial enough. I turned briefly to Scholastyka Wettyn. The blonde had green eyes and her surname marked her as a part of the House von Wettin, the ruling dynasty of the Electorate of Saxony - an important state, albeit one that has been significantly reduced in size due to Protestant Princes from the family breaking off - and a family with considerable power in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as well. Then I turned to Lady Krystyna, the woman who had beaten me at Varna. She greeted me in a language I didn't understand - either Polish or Russian - and smiled softly at me. This woman, with one green eye and one hazel eye, stood before me in a white and gold dress, looking entirely harmless. She was far from it though, she was a dangerous and powerful woman.

"Pleased to see you again Terezia, it is a small world. It is an honor to finally meet you in person Lady Krystyna. It is a pleasure, Lady Scholastyka." I greeted the three women diplomatically despite not knowing one of them, having lost an army to another, and failing to have signed a treaty with the third. Fatimah did the same before the three women made their way the rest of the way up the stairs and into the complex itself. Fatimah and I stood back for a moment, looking at each other. It was just the two of us representing The Ottoman Empire and we were up against an impressive array of women from all throughout the enemy forces. Terezia, who we had known once as Tereza Hungara, had refused to sign The Treaty of Tunis after I defeated the Portuguese in Arabia, merely signing a ceasefire - a ceasefire which proved short lived given that Portuguese forces were part of an enemy alliance not a year later - and now she was in charge of The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya in a victorious position. I suspect that this treaty may be harsher on The Ottomans than we had been expecting. The Hungarian would no doubt push for anything and everything her alliance could get. The two of us would have to negotiate vigorously and cunningly to produce a fair treaty when confronted with Bathory Terezia and the sheer power of both Tsarina Anastasia and Lady Krystyna behind her.

Anastasia frightens me because she is the enemy that I know. She possesses a titanic and expanding state, she possesses incredible intelligence and endless ambition, and she has at her disposal an army that suffered only one defeat during her whole reign and that defeat was soon rendered moot by a circumstantial retreat on our part and a naval victory on her part. She will, no doubt, defeat many enemies before her reign is over and I, honestly, would not be shocked if she ends up doubling the size of Russia between her conquests and her evidently comprehensive colonization of Siberia. However, Lady Krystyna represents the enemy that I don't know. Her position in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and her ties to Anastasia mean that she is practically predetermined to be the next ruler of Poland, however, when I looked into her mismatched eyes, I saw the same fiery hunger in both of them. She will not be satisfied as a second rate power on the fringe of Europe being eaten up by massive Empires and emerging powers. She desires far more. I can only expect that her desire will bring her into conflict with The Ottoman Empire. Between her victory at Varna and her status representing Transylvania, I would be a fool to not realize she has her eyes set on retaking Hungary. The only question is, would she be satisfied with both Hungary and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth? I don't think it'll be enough for her.

"Why is it called Konstantinovskaya? That sounds more Russian than Georgian to me." Fatimah eventually asked, seeing that both of us were deep in thought over these Russian women and wanting to change the subject to something a little more mundane. There would be plenty of time to stress out and think in circles during the negotiations. Spending a few moments talking about something harmless with the love of my life is exactly what I needed before encountering those three women again, only this time, they'll be with the fiercely intelligent and endlessly ambitious Tsarina Anastasia, along with any other tricks that the Tsarina of all Russia has up her sleeves. The war on the battlefield may be over, but whatever is about to happen at the negotiation table, it will most certainly be a war. Looking at myself and Fatimah, I could only hope there would be no further casualties in this war.

"Constantine IV named it after himself, of course, however, he gave it a Russian name to celebrate the marriage of his sister to the Tsar of Russia. The two had three daughters, chief among them is Tsarina Anastasia. I suppose it makes sense that she would want to sign a treaty here. A palace honoring a member of her family overlooking one of the cities we occupied and lost. It is a monument to her side's glory and, in the distance, we can see a monument of our side's defeat. I'm sure that this was a very tactical choice." I explained, cringing at how quickly the explanation of something so mundane descended back into the realm of politics and mind games. Anastasia was in her element as the absolute monarch of a modern European state. She was a young woman and she hailed from a country that has traditionally been seen as distant and poor, a large country, but one without much depth to it - despite coming from a position that should have disadvantaged her, my opponent took it in stride. She crushed her opponents - first The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, now The Ottoman Empire, and who knows who is next. I dread to see what she will do to her next opponent.

"Hey," Fatimah stopped me before we properly entered Konstantinovskaya "Relax, this is just negotiations. We'll give them Crimea, Caucasia, and Moldavia, we'll let them gloat about their victory and how holy it was, then we'll leave and get back to running our Empire. We will survive this and then we'll be back in Konstantiniyye where we can rebuild, reassert our authority, and see our son again."

"Thank you, Fatimah." I told her before kissing her. She finally relaxed me. She was right, we already knew exactly what the Russians wanted and we would then go back to our capital, the greatest city in the world, and we would return to our agenda. Losing the northern lands in exchange for full control of Arabia - thus strengthening our monopoly over Red Sea and Persian Gulf trade - means that, overall, our reign has been successful. This monopoly, combined with the fact that we revealed how weak the Portuguese presence in the Indian Ocean really is, means that there is a very real chance that more trade will flow through the Ottoman corridor into Europe than around Africa to Europe while the Europeans cannibalize each other over control of the Indian Ocean trade network. The Ottoman Empire is at the center of civilization, the crossroads of the Old World. We are greater than fringe conflicts with Russia and Poland, we will survive this, we will survive anything else the Europeans can throw at us. The Ottoman Empire will reign strong for centuries more.

* * *

Fatimah and I sat down at the negotiation table. She was dressed in a red and gold dress which showed a fair bit of skin - it was like she wanted to show that she was unaffected by the cold, perhaps a show of deviance in response to the last time the two of us were in the Caucasus Mountains - meanwhile, I was dressed in a somewhat more modest green and black dress with gold trim. Opposite of me sat Tsarina Anastasia in a purple dress with black and gold trim. On her left was Terezia, but to her right was another woman, one almost identical to her. This other blue-eyed, blonde girl was in a gold and purple dress which complimented Anastasia's. I had to imagine that this was one of Anastasia's sisters. The resemblance is remarkable and the admiration she has for her older sister is clear in the short but meaningful glances the two share whenever they think they have the chance. I took note of that, this younger woman was Russia's future ruler, that meant that she would be a future opponent, if not for myself, for my son.

I still intent to have a part in running The Ottoman Empire once my son comes to power. I will not interfere with Abdullah Timur's agenda, but I will be an advisor, a diplomat, a regent, anything he could need me to be, I will gladly take that role. Especially with Fatimah at my side, the woman was selected, at least in part, because how how young she was despite her impressive experience. The young Tunisian beauty will be Grand Vizier for the vast majority of my son's reign, that continuity will ensure that everything Fatimah and I have worked for will last, even as The Ottoman Empire returns to a Turkish Sultan. Of course, my son would have the power to dismiss Fatimah as Grand Vizier at any point, however, first of all, I won't let him do that, second of all, given that Fatimah is, for all intents and purposes, my wife, she will have just as much a part in raising him as I do. Abdullah-Timur will come to love Fatimah and he won't want to dismiss her as Grand Vizier. In effect, Fatimah and I still intend to rule once Abdullah-Timur comes to power, though, like I said, I want to defer to my son and let him rule the way he wants to. Fatimah and I will simply be there to help him and act as a guiding hand.

"Shall we begin?" Terezia eventually asked, once everyone was done sizing everyone else up. Fatimah and I introduced ourselves before Terezia repeated our introductions in Russian to the opposite group. Once that was done, the Russians began their introductions, which Terezia repeated to us in Arabic "You already know Lady Scholastyka and Lady Krystyna representing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Krystyna representing The Principality of Transylvania as well. You know me, Terezia Bathory, translator, Russian Foreign Minister, and currently representing The Kingdom of Portugal as well. Then, of course, there is Tsarina Anastasia of Russia, the woman who defeated you needs no further introduction. Next to her is Tsarevna Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, heiress of Russia. Beyond her, we have two honored guests: first, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani of Persia and India, and second, Lady Katherine Yveson, the daughter of Sir William Yveson of the English Black Sea Company. Now, with introductions over with, is there anything you wish to say before negotiations?"

I pondered Terezia's question. Four blonde women, a pale brunette, a raven haired Persian woman - perhaps she is the interloper from The Siege of Erivan - and an English red head waited patiently for me. Everyone up to Tsarevna Yelizaveta made sense to me, but the last two are interesting. Yasamin may be the Persian interloper after all, but she is not what I was expecting. I had been expecting the Persian who sold out Erivan to the Russians to be a man, likely a disgruntled soldier who lost the fortress to The Ottomans, instead, it was a beautiful young woman of a noble house. The Bahmanid Dynasty once held land in parts of India before fragmenting and then largely being divided between the Mughals from the north and Vijayanagar in the south, however, Yasamin's dark complexion shows a recent link to India, as does the fact she was introduced as Yasamin of Persia and India. Tsarina Anastasia has plans in place for places halfway across the Asian continent, of course she won this war, I had no chance against her from the beginning. As for the Englishwoman, she was here representing William Yveson - her father I had to assume - who evidently set up a trading company in the Black Sea. That meant that, not only was Anastasia openly supported by Poland, Transylvania, and Portugal, but she was also discretely supported by English economic interests. As for why his daughter Katherine was here rather than this William Yveson himself, I had to imagine that the Englishman had returned to his home country once the war was won. He was a merchant from what I could gather and merchants have no interest in negotiations, they know that Russia has Crimea and I'm sure Russian troops are already repairing the docks at Theodoro to accept English ships. I was up against a diverse and impressive array of women, I had to say something. Fatimah and I were outnumbered and outmatched, we had to fight in order to be taken seriously or else these women were simply going to trample over us to partition The Ottoman Empire.

I glanced over at Fatimah for a moment, looking into her brown eyes and holding her hand under the table. Silently, we said a thousand words without letting the Russians here a single one. We remained like that for a precious few moments, all the while I was wishing that I could kiss her again, though I knew I could not. The harpies across the table would seize any ammunition they could get. A kiss here would lead to Tsarina Anastasia blackmailing the homosexual in charge of The Ottoman Empire. She knew that giving that kind of news to the Ottoman people would destroy my reign - Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists would be frothing at the mouth if they knew I was a sinner as well as a woman, any excuse to get Fatimah and I out of power - therefore, she would use that information against me, forcing me to give her more land than she deserves. I didn't want to rule The Ottoman Empire, in some ways, I still don't, but that didn't mean I was willing to trade away its sovereignty for a kiss, no matter how much I wanted to kiss my Grand Vizier. We would restrain ourselves, for now, in the meantime, I learned from Fatimah exactly what I was going to say before negotiations. I nodded at Terezia before rising to my feet and beginning my speech.

"I was born in The Principality of Theodoro twenty-three years ago. I grew up around a father who pleaded time and time again to the Genoese to protect us from The Ottomans, hoping to preserve the Principality for long enough to pass it on to me, his heiress. Perhaps if history had gone differently, today, I would be sitting there, on your side of the table, a small part of your alliance against The Ottomans. Things didn't go that way. The Sultan had destroyed Genoa's holding in the Black Sea and then turned his attention to Theodoro. I was taken as the Sultan's bride in exchange for him allowing my family to flee to Genoa, where they will be protected. I gave birth to the next Sultan and my husband was killed by his own men while returning from Persia. I moved to seize authority as regent for my son upon his death. I outmaneuvered the former Grand Vizier and we found him dead not long after. That gave me the opportunity to make Fatimah bint Abdul my Grand Vizier. Together, we have worked to expand The Ottoman Empire in Arabia, however, expansion has a price. I watched as men slaughtered each other in the desert. I watched as inept Portuguese nobles and merchants dressed up as generals and ordered Arabians to their deaths, I watched as the troops I led into battle died time and time again. I have no further interest in war. I wish to leave these negotiations with The Ottoman Empire's dignity intact, I wish to trade hostilities for healthy trade relations between my Empire and your states, I wish to be left alone while Fatimah and I work to improve our Empire and make sure my son comes to maturity to rule over a strong, healthy, and permanent state straddling three continents. Everyone in this room is a woman, everyone in this room is in a position atypical of our gender, we should not be enemies. Let us work together for peace and for the betterment of powerful and ambitious women all around the world." I made my speech before sitting back down as Terezia translated. Fatimah squeezed my hand and smiled at me. She and I may not have exactly the same view as to whether or not we should pursue further wars, but that doesn't mean that we have any animosity towards each other. Fatimah admires the fact that I wish to work for peace and that I want an alliance of sorts with our fellow powerful women, meanwhile, I admire the fact that she has experienced the same horrible defeats that I have seen and that has not deterred her. Fatimah is more than willing to avenge our Empire's losses with victorious and glorious warfare.

I made my speech and thus, the negotiations began. Most of their demands were quite reasonable. The Tsardom of Russia wanted Crimea and Caucasia while The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth wanted control of Moldavia. The Principality of Transylvania wanted full sovereignty - well, that's what they said they wanted, in reality, I had to imagine they were just trading Ottoman and Habsburg dominance for Russian and Polish control - which, again, was expected once Prince Matyas got involved in the war. Another demand was that Anastasia wanted Russian and Polish ships - The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will have a presence on the Black Sea now that they've taken Moldavia - get free passage through the Dardanelles to the Mediterranean Sea. Lady Katherine stayed that the Black Sea Company would get the same privilege. Some demands, however, were less acceptable. Tsarina Anastasia, speaking on behalf of King Constantine IV, demanded that we pay reparations to The Kingdom of Georgia. This was because we declared war and that we invaded Georgia, however, she knew damn well that war was inevitable and that Georgia was going to be involved one way or another.

"If King Constantine wants reparations, why is he not here at his own retreat asking for them?" I countered. I felt that it was rather improper that Georgia asks for reparations despite not actually being at the negotiation table. Constantine IV is neither here nor is he represented by any of the women present. Besides, if Constantine IV truly needed the money to repair his fortresses, why not sell off some of the riches here in Konstantinovskaya? Imported Chinese porcelain fetches a high price. I mean, Constantine did have it marked with Georgian symbols such as Saint George on horseback or his red cross on a white background, however, it's not like a red cross on a white background is a rare heraldic symbol in Europe. Such porcelain could be sold to The Kingdom of England, The Archbishopric of Trier in The Holy Roman Empire, or even The Republic of Genoa. Not to mention various golden decorations or other luxury goods. In any case, the point is that The Kingdom of Georgia does not need reparations. They have money and, even if they didn't, King Constantine has many unnecessary possessions that could be sold to fix his precious fortifications. I will not be paying reparations to Georgia.

"King Constantine is preoccupied with repairing his cities after the damage your troops have done." Tsarina Anastasia countered, her words were translated by Bathory Terezia. I doubted that was true, the truth is that the man is happy enough to now share a much shorter border with The Ottoman Empire, protecting him from me, albeit in exchange for practically surrendering his independence to his niece. Nevertheless, Anastasia wanted Georgia to get reparations because she wanted to siphon money away from The Ottoman Empire. I gave her my word that I did not intend further war, but she was doing her part to ensure that. I wonder if she knew that, reparations or not, I was going to rebuild those two armies I lost. Not to wage war, however, the armies would be there to protect my borders from the hungry hordes of Austrians and Persians waiting at my borders. Fatimah and I would then devote our resources to minimizing the loss of actual value despite the loss of land. We would build up Arabia and make it more productive in order to turn our reign into a net positive for The Ottoman Empire. I needed plenty of money to accomplish our ambitious plans, I could do it even if I was paying reparations, but that didn't mean I was willing to.

"I reviewed The Treaty of Warsaw during the winter, Tsarina Anastasia, it is quite clear to me that you are not lacking in financial resources. If The Kingdom of Georgia is desperate for money, why not give some of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's coffers to Georgia? If not that money, why not all that gold you plundered from Trabzon or Baghdad? You are hardly a poor woman." Fatimah countered. My Grand Vizier truly did look over Anastasia's previous treaty, she wanted to get an idea of preciously what Tsarina Anastasia would try to get out of us at the negotiation table. Fatimah and I went over this information and we agreed that, given that we lost men in this war and that we were going to lose land in this treaty, we were not going to give up any gold to Russia. Not after Tsarina Anastasia prolonged this war to plunder Baghdad. Those were her reparations.

"Very well," Terezia eventually announced after quietly conferring with Anastasia. It seems that Tsarina Anastasia had demanded the reparations in order to push the bargaining further. She was willing to go without reparations, but she was not willing to go without the land or the free passage from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, so, she asked for that first and made these reparations the hill that we were going to die on. Given that I was thinking of dying on a hill, I could not help but glance at Lady Krystyna after what she did to the Balkan Ordusu at the Second Battle of Varna. In any case, I looked away from the frightening Polish noblewoman and turned back to the Hungarian woman who was running these negotiations. Terezia quickly and effortlessly moved on from the loss - she was clearly a confident and put-together woman, after all, she threatened me with the war against Russia back when she was negotiating with Portugal - after that, I should have been expecting The Kingdom of Portugal to get involved with The Tsardom of Russia. The Transylvanian from the House of Bathory moved on to the next outrageous demand "In order to protect Transylvanian sovereignty, Lady Krystyna has requested that The Ottoman Empire moves its defenses and troops back to Bosnia, south of Belgrade, and into Wallachia. Croatia and Hungary will be demilitarized until The Principality of Transylvania is capable of thoroughly defending itself from further Turkish aggression or any reprisals following this treaty.

"I refuse." I plainly and finally stated. That demand was not going to happen. Lady Krystyna didn't think that this was going to happen either, the demand was simply being made now in the case that combination of her overwhelming victory at Varna and Russian military might behind it might make Fatimah and I willing to agree to something so stupid and blatant. Lady Krystyna was here as a representative of The Principality of Transylvania on top of representing The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is blatant that Krystyna wants the Polish throne, therefore, it is a fair assumption that she intends to replace Prince Matyas as the ruler of Transylvania. If Ottoman defenses were to abandon Hungary, Lady Krystyna would no doubt occupy the former Kingdom of Hungary and the former Kingdom of Croatia, between those three regions, along with Upper Hungary and a few other fringe regions from the Habsburgs, in order to reform The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, a Medieval composite monarchy that was a thorn in The Ottomans side for a long time. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Lands of The Hungarian Crown have been united before. One of those unions was put to end by Ottoman troops at the Battle of Varna in 1444 - the victory that Lady Krystyna allegedly avenged - and Hungary, along with Bohemia, was ruled by a branch of the Polish Jagiellon dynasty upon the Turkish conquest of Hungary. We killed off the last of the main line of Jagiellonians in battle and thus, the parts of Hungary we didn't occupy passed to the Habsburgs, along with Bohemia. Thus, a century ago, the current situation in the Pannonian Basin developed, a situation that Lady Krystyna clearly wanted to change. It seemed that conflict was once again inevitable. This time, it would be between The Ottoman Empire and the lands that Lady Krystyna will come to rule.

"Well, it seems that the matter will be settled in a less civilized manner." Terezia smirked once again. It seemed that the Russian Foreign Minister had come to the same conclusion of Lady Krystyna. She knew that the Polish noblewoman would invade Hungary sooner rather than later. I wondered, perhaps this was The Tsardom of Russia's policy. Tsarina Anastasia didn't want Austria to claim the rest of those Hungarian Lands, she claims that this is about the balance of power and preventing her other enemies in Europe from growing stronger. I had to wonder though, is it really about that, or is it about keeping Austria contained so that Krystyna could wage war against them? It was clear that Anastasia was supporting Krystyna to destroy her European enemies and replace them with a number of allied Kingdoms. Allied Kingdoms which would no doubt prove to be enemies of The Ottoman Empire.

"So, thus far we have agreed to cede Crimea and the Caucasian lands to The Tsardom of Russia and to cede Moldavia to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I have agreed to allow Russian, Polish, and Black Sea Company ships through the Turkish Straits, and I have agreed to recognize The Principality of Transylvania as an independent state. We have agreed that no reparations are to be paid to The Kingdom of Georgia and I have refused to move my forces back from Hungary and Croatia. What else is there?" I asked, reviewing what has been discussed thus far and asking the Russian party what more they wanted. I've seen a fair bit of both Tsarina Anastasia and even Lady Krystyna by now, I knew well enough that, with them, things cannot possibly be that simple. Anastasia no doubt had something planned to ensure that The Ottoman Empire would not be capable of retaking this territory in the future - something she made somewhat more difficult for herself by keeping our borders intact - she wanted us to both remain weaker than her while remaining stronger than any of the European powers who happen to desire some of the same lands that Anastasia or Krystyna covet. This was going to hurt my Empire, though I was somewhat interested in how exactly she intends to do it. I was also interested in what else Lady Krystyna wants. Something tells me that the Polish noblewoman with her eyes set on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Lands of The Hungarian Crown had ambitions well beyond just those two states, regardless of how large they both were at their peaks.

"The Tsardom of Russia is willing to guarantee The Ottoman Empire's borders as they are. This policy will continue until either your armies return to prewar levels or you declare an offensive war. Russia will publicly announce this policy and enforce it with the Army of the Caucasus and a newly formed Army of Crimea, if necessary. In exchange for this, The Tsardom of Russia wants The Ottoman Empire to fully fund those standing armies for the duration of the arrangement." Terezia said next. So that is how she intended to do it, she wanted us to willingly go along with it. I glanced at Fatimah to see her deep in thought. This was indeed an interesting arrangement - we had the chance to rebuild our armies on the Balkans and Anatolia with Russian protection. That part of the arrangement was good, we would be foolish not to agree to that, but the second part is what makes such an arrangement difficult to accept. The Army of the Caucasus was one of the armies which invaded The Ottoman Empire, the one which took Baku in fact, now, that army was going to sit on newly Russian cities in Armenia and Azerbaijan. Anastasia was asking for us to pay for one of the armies that invaded our Empire as well as a new army in Crimea - said army was probably going to be transported to the Balkans by the Russian fleet that devastated our navy at the Battle of Theodoro. It felt wrong to pay for one army which invaded the country I ruled and another foreign army of conscripts from the place that I was born in, even if those armies were going to enforce my borders.

I wasn't sure how I felt about this. On one hand, I wanted to finally work together with Tsarina Anastasia - I knew that she was only protecting my borders to ensure that as much of The Ottoman Empire as possible was left behind to eventually become part of her Tsardom of Russia, but I was still excited to be able to look at Russia as something other than an enemy - cooperating to halt the expansion of our mutual enemies. I am not expecting this to turn into an alliance, that is too much to ask for, especially when Anastasia considers her country the Third Rome - no successor state to the Byzantines would be complete without the Byzantine capital - meaning that, if she could, Anastasia would take Konstantiniyye. Obviously there cannot be an alliance between two powers when one of those two powers covets all of your lands, up to and including your capital. An alliance is too far, but who knows, perhaps one day, Fatimah and I could find ourselves on the same side as some of the woman across the table, in a war against the Habsburgs for instance.

"Could we have a moment to discuss this?" Fatimah requested. A recess would be nice right now, we had the main parts of the treaty - the land exchanges and the trade through the Dardanelles - figured out and now we are just negotiating what the post-war world will look like. Tsarina Anastasia wants meaningful gains, not gains that are effectively erased by the Habsburgs taking Hungary and Croatia - thus, Russia grows stronger only for Austria to grow stronger as well, the so-called Roman Empress does not benefit if the Holy Roman Emperor erases the gain by making the two powers just as powerful proportionally as they had been prior - therefore, she wants the world after this war to be a world where Russia expands while her enemies stagnate. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, once the limit of Russian expansion, is now an ally and, in many ways, a puppet. At the same time, Anastasia has gotten what she wants, for now, from The Ottoman Empire. This means that Anastasia is now targeting Vienna rather than Warsaw in order to spread Russian influence, thus, Russia's enemies have become Austria and Sweden rather than Poland and The Ottoman Empire. Figuring out what the scenario looks like is a lot less pressing and a lot more complicated that redrawing some maps, which is why I think that we all needed some time to think about it. I watched as Terezia and Anastasia had a short discussion in hushed Russian tones before the Transylvanian diplomat turned to us once more, now possessing an answer to Fatimah's request.

"We feel that we are in a good place for negotiations today. Negotiations will resume tomorrow, in the mean time, Yasamin shall show you to your rooms while the staff prepare dinner. Dinner will be served in here within a few hours." Terezia announced. Thus, the first day of negotiations had concluded, leaving Fatimah and I a lot to think about and a lot to talk about. First though, we would meet face to face with the Persian interloper. Yasamin was hardly what we were expecting, but she was still the reason why the Siege of Erivan was such a disaster for The Ottoman Empire, but now, she was going to be the one to show us to our rooms of all things. This was a strange kind of hospitality, to say the least.

* * *

"So, your father was the administrator of Erivan before my husband's conquest?" I asked. Fatimah and I were conversing with Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani, the Indo-Persian woman who found herself in Tsarina Anastasia's court. The girl was well educated, her Turkish was probably just as good as mine. I knew Greek natively, a bit of Italian thanks to my family's dealings with the Genoese, and I've learned both Turkish and Arabic as a result of marrying into the Ottoman dynasty. Yasamin, meanwhile, was fluent in Russian and Turkish at very least on top of her native Persian. Her knowledge of Erivan's defenses came from her father's status in the city - the same father also had her educated in the languages of The Tsardom of Russia and The Ottoman Empire - her father did indeed have a good grasp of the political situation in Caucasia. The region passed through Persia to The Ottoman Empire and now it's passing to The Tsardom of Russia. those three languages would all be very important for a woman from Erivan, but something tells me, just like the rest of Anastasia's allies, her ambition extends well beyond just one city. The Shi'ite Persian Bahmanid dynasty reigned over the Deccan in southern India centuries ago, but things are very different now. Vijayanagar, the City of Victory, reigns over the Deccan down to the Tamil country while the mighty Mughal Empire encroaches further and further south into India. All the while, more and more ports are seized by the Portuguese and, increasingly, other European powers such as the Dutch, the French, and the English. I question if there is room for a Shia Sultanate in India, not with the Sunni Turco-Persian and Mongolic lords of The Mughal Empire in the north, the Hindu forces of victory in the south, and the Christians encircling all of it. India was well beyond the borders of The Ottoman Empire, but with Fatimah and I's conquest of Arabia, we now have a much greater interest in the Indian Ocean.

"Yes, my father was an administrator for the Qara Qoyunlu and my mother was a Kannada Muslim from India. I suppose that I am both a Persian newcomer to India and one of the assimilated Indo-Persian nobles. I represented both dominant groups of Muslims in south India from the days of old. All that they need now is somebody to create a new state for them. A state which could also be for the Kannada, Marathi, and Telugu Hindus of the Deccan." she replied. Yasamin was testing the waters, she was making it clear that she did intend to try and make a Sultanate in southern India despite the complex political situation, without actually saying it. She was a smart woman, she knew that The Ottoman Empire had to at least tolerate a new Muslim power looking to rise up. The Ottoman Empire controls the holy cities of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, along with Damascus, Baghdad, Cairo, and, of course, Konstantiniyye - we are the dominant power and we decide who can and cannot come to Mecca on pilgrimages, we decide who can stop at Ottoman ports while on a journey to India, and we decide who are allies are - our influence is felt throughout the Dar al-Islam. The Ottomans and Mughals had cordial relations - we had no reason to go to war but we also have no reason to really become allies. The Ottomans, Persians, and Mughals were all the so-called gunpowder empires, all rising to power rapidly thanks to heavily Turkic armies favoring firearms and cannons, using them to devastating effect against the previous powers, however, in many ways, that is where the similarities end. I would not necessarily mind seeing The Mughals replaced with another Islamic power, even if this second Bahmanid Sultanate would be Shia rather than Sunni, but I am timid about allowing Russia to gain another ally, especially in India of all places. I did not want Anastasia to crush our attempts to expand into the Indian Ocean before those attempts really got a chance to begin.

"Well, whoever those Muslims and Hindus want as a ruler, that ruler will have to get around Vijayanagar and The Mughals before anything." Fatimah countered, my Grand Vizier did not want to commit to anything with this potential Indian Sultanate until we see evidence that such a state is indeed possible. I understood her perspective, in any under circumstances, a lone woman of all people had no chance of bringing together enough people and enough soldiers to launch a serious invasion of the Deccan. The Mughals, a transformation of the Timurid dynasty from a decaying Turco-Mongol Empire in Persia to a reborn Indian Empire, stretch from Kabul in the west to Bengal in the east and from Kashmir in the north to the northern Marathi country in the south. The Mughals seem impossibly powerful compared to just puny little Yasamin, however, Yasamin has Tsarina Anastasia behind her. I fear that Tsarina Anastasia may turn the tide in her favor, after all, that woman specializes in doing the impossible. I was not necessarily certain that Yasamin would manage to defeat Vijayanagar and The Mughals both, however, I am stating that, given the circumstances, I would not be surprised either if a new Bahmanid Sultanate rises in India, with Yasamin at the helm.

"Well, that could prove to be more easy than you expect, especially if Vijayanagar and The Mughals find each other at work at the same time. Perhaps the person who shall give the Muslims of south India a state will side with The Mughals to regain some of the Deccan Sultanates from the City of Victory, only to then turn on them." I replied, quietly encouraging Yasamin and providing her with a potential strategy for making her dream a reality. The Deccan Sultanates - states like The Sultanate of Bidar, The Sultanate of Golconda, The Sultanate of Bijapur, The Sultanate of Berar, and The Sultanate of Ahmadnagar - were the shattered remains of the old Bahmanid Sultanate which were trampled over by Vijayanagar. These were small and divided states, The Mughals could seek rebuilding those as weak vassal states. Yasamin could go along with this, however, rather than weak vassal states, she builds them up as a foundation for her reborn Bahmanid Sultanate. Of course, this was all theoretical, she had no intention of invading India, or even if she did, Fatimah and I knew nothing of it. This is all theoretical scenarios, this is not the situation that Yasamin actually finds herself. I thought it was a little silly for her to not just openly admit this, surely by now she knew that I was on to her.

"Whatever happens, I am confident that the situation in India will change one way or another. A stalemate between Vijayanagar and The Mughals will not last forever, they will either destroy each other or watch somebody else destroy them both." Yasamin replied, still not giving a definitive answer. I suppose she was right though, the two powers in southern India will find themselves at war sooner rather than later, especially if a third power such as a new Bahmanid Sultanate arrives, lighting the region up with controversy and tension. If they both stagnate, content with one power being dominant in the north and another power dominant in the south, then their enemies will wipe them both out. The Europeans will not be content with their ports forever, the states of India must become strong, centralized, militaristic, and ruthless to resist European conquest, because the Europeans will be even stronger, even more militaristic, and even more ruthless. Indians must depend on each other and their home land to resist the ever growing noose of Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French trade ports surrounding the subcontinent. I may not be able to choose between a Mughal or a Bahmanid Sultanate, but I'll certainly take either of them over a European controlled India.

"Well, regardless of the fate of India, I'm sure you'll find a place in the world. You made defending Erivan completely impossible." I replied. I did not hold Yasamin accountable for the loss of life. The battle was going to happen one way or another, in fact, she may have decreased the overall number of deaths by turning the Siege so heavily in Russia's favor - though, otherwise, perhaps the casualties would be more evenly split between Russians and Turks, other than a complete slaughter of Ottoman troops - Yasamin merely capitalized on the battle, using it as an opportunity to trade her local knowledge in exchange for support from Anastasia. In the world of brutal, opportunistic, modern politics, such a move is shrewd and commendable. Yasamin's dreams are on track to become reality and she avenged the Persian loss of Erivan to The Ottomans,, arranging for us to lose her city to the Russians. I was excited to see a powerful woman potentially rise up in southern India of all places, especially if it would mean that Fatimah and I would no longer be alone as female rulers in the Muslim world. I was also eager for the newly minted Ottoman operations in the Indian Ocean to take advantage of the warfare in the region - Ottoman ships could fill the vacuum left behind as the vessels of The Mughals and Vijayanagar are refitted for war against Yasamin and her forces.

"Thank you. In any case, here is your room, Sultana Helena. Grand Vizier, your room is the next door on the left." Yasamin stopped and gestured at our doors. Of course they gave us two separate rooms, they had no way of knowing what are relationship is like. In fact, it would probably be seen as some sort of diplomatic snub if they only gave us one room to share - after all, Konstantinovskaya is hardly a small estate - that being said, Fatimah and I had no intention of using two rooms. Soon enough, we would be behind closed doors and I would be able to show Fatimah just how grateful I am to have had her help today. If I was left alone, I would have botched the speech, failed to refuse reparations, and I'd struggle to have the confidence to so categorically refuse Krystyna's request over evacuating Hungary. Fatimah gave me the strength to rule The Ottoman Empire as my son's regent - I was so foolish then, I was so focused on keeping power away from Ibrahim Pasha that I never considered what actually holding power looked like, but Fatimah changed that. Fatimah enabled me to rule The Ottoman Empire, more than my father's preparation in Theodoro ever did - and today, she gave me the strength to maintain that Empire, she deserved to be thanked properly. We thanked the Persian interloper and she said some nonsense about dinner, but I didn't care about it anymore - the second that she left and turned the corner, I ushered Fatimah into my room. I closed the door and locked it before crashing my lips against Fatimah's, joining together in a passionate kiss.

* * *

The first layer of clothing hit the ground as Fatimah threw her arms around my neck and rose a leg against my side. We kissed again, Fatimah against the wall with her dress at her feet, my hands resting at her hips for a long moment before reaching for the strings of her corset, pulling the garment loose - it's not like she needed it, she had a perfect figure and there wasn't much for the garment to compact - leaving her in just her underwear...far too much clothing. Our lips met again as Fatimah lowered her hands to my bra, untying the garment and pulling it free. We broke off for a mere moment, the two of us admiring each other's breasts. I watched Fatimah's caramel breasts and chocolate nipples, I've seen them many, many times before, but they were no less magical now than they were the first time I saw them. I leaned forward again, feeling our sensitive nipples coming together as our lips followed suit. I felt her tongue penetrating my mouth, a vivid reminder of just what that tongue could do to me, of what the tongue was about to do to me.

Fatimah guided me over to the bed and gently lowered me down, she leaned down for a quick kiss before hooking her fingers around the hem of my underwear. I held my legs close together and up as Fatimah pulled the garment off. I felt the moist fabric go up my thighs to the knees and then back down, finally slipping off my feet. Free of the offending clothing, I opened my legs for the Grand Vizier, filling with anticipation as Fatimah put her hands on my knees, guiding them apart. Fatimah stopped for only a moment to take her own underwear off before joining me on the bed, straddling my bare body.

"I was supposed to be thanking you," I laughed after we kissed once again, feeling Fatimah's body just over mine, her naked skin against mine. Of course, both of us would be pleasured a number of times tonight, there was no way I could resist Fatimah, even if I did want to please her first. That didn't seem to matter though, because Fatimah showed no intention of getting off me. A part of me wanted to turn her around, pin her down, and ravage her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. That reminded me of how it was with my husband. Fatimah silenced those thoughts by ever so slightly moving her leg against mine - the smooth skin, the gentle touch, and the soft breasts against mine saved me - this was not loveless sex with a husband I didn't want, this was beautiful love making with the woman who I belonged with. Another kiss and the bad thoughts melted away. I was safe, I was sound, and I was in love.

"Maybe, but we were also supposed to eat dinner. It's safe to say we won't be eating Russian tonight." Fatimah smirked as she decided she was going to please me first after all. I felt her teeth gently bite my nipples, leaving me practically shaking with desire. I felt a trail of kisses down from my breasts to my center. I shivered as she left a kiss on my clit before licking my most intimate of areas. I couldn't resist this, I lifted my hips towards her mouth and my hand found her hair, holding her head in place, all the while, her tongue worked her magic. The Ottoman Empire may have lost this war, but we will stand strong. The Sultana-regent and the Grand Vizier are united in a way that Tsarina Anastasia could not possibly understand. The woman is not even married, let alone experiencing the kind of love Fatimah and I shared. As my Grand Vizier put me over the edge, I knew this defeat would not mean decline. The Ottoman Empire had a bright future ahead of it, Fatimah and I would ensure that, no matter what form the Treaty of Konstantinovskaya takes in the end.

* * *

Alright guys, this has been the least Ottoman chapter of act two and, like I said, we have another few Russia chapters coming as we finish act two and begin act three. Also, not sure if I mentioned this before - I couldn't find it in the Tunis chapter where I meant to mention it - but Terezia knows Arabic because of her service to Portugal, which would involve treaties with North African powers such as Morocco as well as setting up trade relations along the Muslim ports of the Indian Ocean. Though I did remember to mention Yasamin knowing Turkish.


	30. The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya: Part II

Hello, to date the hell out of this chapter, I am writing this during the whole corona virus quarantine of 2020 - which is hopefully over in whatever future date you guys are reading this in - and thus, I'm writing this in complete free time, so this should end up being a bit on the long side. I know I said I was trying to go for shorter chapter for awhile, but given that I honestly don't know what's going to happen once this whole state of emergency, stay-at-home order craze is over, I might be super busy in the near future, so this is gonna to be a bit of a longer chapter because I'm not sure of I'll have a ton of writing time once everything settles down.

In any case, this is the end of act two and, after this, we'll be in the final ten chapter act three to close out the story. I have several ideas as to what I'm going to write after this, some of which have been and will be heavily hinted at within this very story. The week after this chapter posts, I will be posting chapter ten of Secrets of The Outer Rim, my secondary story at the moment. I intend to go on a hiatus with that story after act one is complete, as a bit of a seasonal approach. Therefore, In a few weeks, I will be launching a different secondary story, likely one that also follows this seasonal approach. I don't know whether or not I will make my next primary story a seasonal one. I'm experimenting a bit right now, though this story will not be impacted by all that. So, here is the Russian perspective of the negotiations at Konstantinovskaya.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act II.

The Russo-Ottoman War.

Chapter XXX.

The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya - Part II.

* * *

I was sitting on a couch at Konstantinovskaya, my arm around Yelizaveta. My little sister was leaned against me and she had her head on my shoulder. Her eyes were closed but she was not asleep, she was simply enjoying our intimacy. I kissed her on the forehead and watched as a blush came over her cheeks and a smile graced her face. This was exactly what I needed during these negotiations. Sultana Helena and I had previously agreed, in writing, that neither of us would bring guards or troops to Konstantinovskaya, the compound would be well guarded by King Constantine IV's guards around the perimeter, these was no need for anyone inside the compound, this was a civil exchange after all. This agreement, however, meant that we needed a show of force in an unconventional way. Therefore, I opted to present an overwhelming and united front to The Ottoman Empire. I convinced Constantine IV that I would handle Georgia's stake in the negotiations, whilst Prince Matyas had already decided that Lady Krystyna could represent Transylvania. I then demanded that Jan the Prussian make Lady Krystyna his representative, something which he accepted, on the condition that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth send a second representative as well. I refused his first four suggestions as to who else would represent Poland, until he finally chose Scholastyka Wettyn, a woman who was very much on our side rather than his, though the Prussian hardly realized the Saxon-Polish noblewoman was a close ally to Lady Krystyna.

The addition to the representatives, two other guests joined our united front. The first of these guests was our newfound Indo-Persian friend, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani. She helped me win the Siege of Yerevan and she wanted to reign over the Deccan in southern India - if Yasamin achieved this, which I believe she will, especially because I'm offering her my protection and my patronage while she forms the skeleton of her Sultanate in Moscow in preparation for actually establishing the state, she will be an ally and partner to The Tsardom of Russia, meanwhile, she will need to trade and interact with The Ottoman Empire, as well as securing pilgrimage rights for her Islamic subjects - therefore, she has earned her position at the negotiation table between Russia and the Turks. The other guest is Lady Katherine Yveson, the daughter of William Yveson. The Englishman responsible for setting up the Black Sea Company, now a wealthy merchant in his own right rather than the third, non-inheriting son of one, has returned to England to live in luxury and profits, meanwhile, his daughter, who, as a woman in English society, will not be inheriting either the Black Sea Company or the Yversons' older White Sea Company, has taken his place in Moscow. Evidently Lady Katherine considers being on the other end of Europe preferable to marrying some pompous Englishmen...I can hardly blame her.

Bathory Terezia, Krystyna Wlodzislawa, Scholastyka Wettyn, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani, Katherine Yveson, and, of course, Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich and I, together, we have presented The Ottoman Empire with the most brilliant, powerful, and ambitious women that Europe has to offer. Granted, Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier, a woman named Fatimah bint Abdul, seem to deserve that distinction as well, meaning this is probably the greatest concentration of great women that the world has ever seen. Helping women get into power wasn't part of my agenda until recently, but now, things have changed very quickly - I have the capacity to double the potential of my court compared to other European powers simply by tapping into the unused talent pool that is women - the idea of using women to increase the size of my armies didn't seem very realistic, given the roles women taken on while their husbands and sons are off fighting war, but allowing maybe ten or twenty women to join me in Moscow as ministers, diplomats, artists, and scientists...that could give Moscow the advantage it needs to truly propel it from a cold little hovel on the fringe of Europe to a true heir of Rome and a center of European civilization. Women in my court could prove just as instrumental as the architectural work at White Square, including The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, or the expansion of The Tsardom of Russia. The foundation for all of this was laid in that room, now Liz and I just needed to capitalize on it, turn it from happenstance into policy.

"You're thinking too much." Yelizaveta laughed, evidently my little sister and lover - admittedly, that is still a bit weird to say, even though I hardly regret it - knows when I am thinking. I ran my hand against the bare skin of her arm, feeling smooth, pale flesh come alive with goosebumps. Just like she wanted, my thoughts turned from politics and potential and political potential to blue eyes, blonde hair, and porcelain skin. The heiress of Rurik definitely had a Scandinavian complexion, but it was one hardly out of place in The Tsardom of Russia. Perhaps that is because we are, indeed, Slavs - more than enough of our ancestors have been locals for us to make that claim - in any case, the fact is, Liz is impossibly beautiful. Her beauty makes me so happy that she and I have done to impossible and formed a relationship - nothing, not even our own blood, will stop our love.

Liz and I heard a pair of footsteps approaching the room and we tensed up for a moment, thinking that we would have to adjust our position, however, as they got closer, we heard a pair of voices talking and laughing in Polish. We were safe, Lady Krystyna knew that Liz and I were close and she saw Liz and I in similar positions during our time together at Kolomenskoye. I saw Scholastyka and Krystyna enter the room, the green eyed protege was dressed in a silver dress with some burgundy details whilst the heterochromatic teacher - once herself my protege - wore a white and brighter red dress with silver trim. I couldn't help but scan Krystyna up and down, she was a beautiful woman and the power and the confidence she radiated was alluring to say the least, but I knew what a relationship with her really looked like. I knew that it was a love poisoned by politics and cursed with distance. How are we supposed to have a relationship when I am in Moscow in Russia while she is in Warsaw in Poland or Prague in Bohemia or Gyulafehervar in Transylvania? It was impossible. Meanwhile, I turned back to my little sister at my side, just as beautiful, just as smart, and she would always be there for me. It may have been incestuous and it may be repulsive to most people, but I loved it whenever I kissed her, touched her, saw her in pleasure. Yelizaveta was the stability and loyalty I wanted as an absolutist monarch.

"Tsarina Anastasia," Scholastyka greeted with a slight bow, she clearly didn't know me that well. I wanted to have complete control and I wanted to make sure the common people were completely obedient, but, in private life, I did not care all that much for royal protocol. I suppose I did care about being dominant in my personal relationships though, hence why I was so happy with Yelizaveta, but I hardly needed Scholastyka to bow in front of me for only Liz, Krystyna, and I to experience. Krystyna embarrassed her younger counterpart by walking right up to the couch we were on and sitting down on my left, the opposite side from my little sister. Krystyna grabbed my hand and kissed me briefly on the lips. Turning back to her shocked protege with a smirk. Meanwhile, I glanced at Liz. Blue eyes locked with blue as I communicated a slight but worrying message to my little sister - Krystyna seems like she wants to pick up right where we left off, she still considers ourselves lovers - that will complicate our time here.

"No need to be formal Schosia, we're all friends here." Krystyna smirked, using a makeshift diminutive of Scholastyka's admittedly rather formal name. I wasn't sure how much exactly the Wettyn noblewoman knew about Krystyna's sexuality before now, but I think the two Poles will definitely have to have a talk about all this in the future. Nevertheless, given that her reaction seems to be one of surprise rather than disgust, I don't think we have too much to worry about. The Polish-German woman sat down on the other couch, just a corner away from Krystyna while the Polish, Czech, and Hungarian noblewoman turned back to the two of us "Good morning Nastya, Liz, how did you sleep?"

"I slept well, though I must admit it was odd that Helena and Fatimah missed dinner." I replied, trying to hide the fact that Liz and I were actually sharing the same room. Yelizaveta and I officially had separate rooms, though her room went unused. The truth is, the absence of the two Ottoman women at dinner was actually a blessing in disguise for me, it gave me a convenient excuse to politely refuse Krystyna when the Polish noblewoman asked if she could join me for the night. The suspicious behavior of the Turks meant that sex, or anything else that could arouse suspicion, was a bad choice. Liz and I didn't do anything other than sleep - not that we planned to do anything before our palace was completed anyway - and two sisters sleeping together was hardly unheard of, even if we are admittedly old for it at twenty-two and nineteen, respectively, but that didn't mean it was automatically incriminating. Liz and I have always been affectionate, especially since that faithful day three years ago when Liz opened my eyes to my sexuality, allowing everything else which has happened since to happen. That included my relationship with Lady Krystyna, a relationship which I both loved and hated.

I loved it because being with Krystyna is thrilling, her touch, her kiss, her tongue...and her mind, that woman's plans for Europe are exactly the same kind of plans I have for Russia, she wants to expand borders, she wants to build fabulous capitals, and she wants to turn her other cities into centers of trade, manufacturing, and art, she is a fabulous person to talk to. I hated it because everything was a competition. Krystyna and I were going to put her on the Polish throne once Jan the Prussian died, we both knew that, however, that meant that there was always a struggle between how independent The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth would be. I wanted The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to essentially be a vassal state of The Tsardom of Russia whilst Lady Krystyna wanted an alliance of equals to protect her eastern border, allowing her to project her power further and further west. Then there was the matter of any further Kingdoms she establishes - she has claims to Bohemia and Transylvania due to her relation to the Jagiellon dynasty - the Polish-Lithuanian dynasty which reigned over Bohemia and Hungary prior to the Habsburg conquest - and her relation to the Bathory dynasty, which started as vassals to the Hungarian crown in Transylvania and emerged as sovereign Princes from the chaos. Krystyna has already managed to get close to Prince Matyas and represent Transylvania officially at the negotiation table, getting her closer to inheriting the Principality from the Prince who lacks direct heirs. As for Bohemia, Krystyna already wrote to me with her plans for the Czech Kingdom. Krystyna and I disagree over how independent Bohemia, Transylvania, and any other place she comes to rule will be. These arguments and this struggle over political dominance made me hate our relationship, like I said, it poisoned our love. In any case, as friends and allies, I was still very much interested in her plans.

"So, tell me about this plan for Bohemia. You mentioned waiting for the Swedes to occupy it from the Habsburgs and then stepping in to retake it for the Catholic cause, only it's going to be for your cause rather than the Emperor's, what else is there to this plan?" I asked. Lady Krystyna had a somewhat solid plan; by coming in to rescue the Bohemians after the Swedish occupation, she would win the support of the people. She would show the Czechs that she can protect them where the Habsburgs cannot. This move will also mean that the Habsburgs will be utterly incapable of displacing Krystyna - after all, the Austrian forces would've just been destroyed by the Swedish invaders, meaning they're too exhausted to reclaim the Czech lands until Krystyna is established and ready for them. Lady Krystyna is a smart woman for using the seemingly endless war between Protestants and Catholics to claim Bohemia. In the chaos, she will reign supreme where both Austria and Sweden have failed. The only question is, what other angles to this has Krystyna seen which I have not seen?

"The timing is perfect Anastasia, the Habsburgs slaughtered the Czech Protestant nobility when they defeated the Palatinate's armies, now, the Swedes are going to slaughter the Catholic nobles. This gives me the chance to make a permanent, absolutist monarchy. I will promote the nobility myself, spreading their estates around Bohemia proper, Moravia, Lusatia, and Silesia. Scattered and fractured estates will leave these nobles weak while, at the same time, the fact I've given them land, prestige, and power to begin with will make those nobles loyal, at least for a generation or two. Bohemia will be strong, centralized, and hereditary, everything that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is not. All the while, I'll forge relationships within The Holy Roman Empire, I'll make The Kingdom of Bohemia an essential part of the Catholic Holy Roman Empire." Lady Krystyna explained, her mismatched eyes lighting up with passion and excitement. I figured out the military aspect on my own, Krystyna explained how this would work diplomatically, both internally and externally.

"Who do you think would ally with you?" Yelizaveta asked. My little sister sat up a little bit more to look at Krystyna but she was very much still on my body. I think I detected a bit of jealousy and possessiveness in my little sister. Not only was she making sure to keep in physical contact with me, but she was also interjecting now to take my attention off of Lady Krystyna and her detailed ideas. Of course, I could already tell this was going to bite Yelizaveta in the ass, after all, knowing Krystyna, she already thought all about that question, truly realizing that her Kingdom of Bohemia was a reality. I was with Yelizaveta now, I was happy, especially now that it seems Krystyna was going to be gone even earlier given that she intends to be reigning in Prague before she gets to reign in Warsaw.

"Bavaria is already frustrated with the Austrians. They share a long border and Bavaria longs for more power - whether it comes in the form of more land or in finally getting the Electorate they've been clamoring for ever since the Palatinate split off from the Wittelsbach homeland. If Bohemia falls, I could see small, Catholic states in central Germany like The Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach and The Archbishopric of Mainz turning towards my state for protection against the Swedes rather than Vienna." Krystyna explained. The Duchy of Bavaria seemed like a fairly obvious ally, the Wittelsbach dynasty is one of the oldest and most significant reigning houses in Germany and thus, they have a long-running rivalry with the Austrians, especially since they got snubbed over the Wittelsbach Electorate. That Electorate ended up going to The County Palatinate of The Rhine, also ruled by the Wittelsbach, but it is a significantly smaller and significantly more fractured state, therefore, Bavaria also has a rivalry with the Palatinate. Of course, the fact that the Palatinate became an early leader of the Protestant cause means that both the staunchly Catholic Bavaria and the Imperial lands of Austria oppose the fractured state reigning from Heidelberg. The Principality of Brandenburg-Ansbach is also rather isolated, closely related to The Electorate of Brandenburg, this branch of The House von Hohenzollern has remained Catholic while their counterparts in Berlin have become Protestant. The Archbishopric of Mainz is geographically isolated, wedged between the Palatinate's main body and the Protestant city of Frankfurt, as well as fairly significant Protestant states in Hesse and Nassau to the north of Frankfurt. These particularly isolated and vulnerable powers may indeed be the ones to flock towards a new independent Kingdom of Bohemia. I couldn't help but see Yelizaveta's shoulders fall ever so slightly as she realized her attempt to stump Krystyna failed miserably.

"How about the Saxon states?" I asked. The Wettin dynasty had a branch in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth - Scholastyka Wettyn was proof of that - and the dynasty also ruled a collection of states between Bohemia and Brandenburg. The largest of these was The Electorate of Saxony, centered on Dresden, which is still a Catholic state, however, a number of other Wettin states existed in Thuringia, chief among those were Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Weimar, both of which were Protestant Saxony was occupied by the Swedish forces who were now sacking Bohemia, but the Elector himself is alive and well, have retreated south with his army. If Bohemia were to help reoccupy those lands, the Elector could turn to Prague as well, just like Bavaria, Brandenburg-Ansbach, and Mainz could. Of course, Schosia would presumably know better than Krystyna or I, after all, she's related to the Elector, and the Protestant Dukes in Coburg and Weimar for that matter. Unsurprisingly, the green-eyed blonde was the one to answer my question.

"I don't know, the Emperor has promised a fully reformed Saxony to the Elector for fighting against the Protestants. I'm not sure if you would be able to give him a better offer, not unless you do something like offer all that plus Lusatia." Scholastyka explained. That was indeed a difficult promise to top. Saxony has not been whole in centuries, not since the Wettin - then known as Dukes of Meissen and Thuringia - received the title of Electors of Saxony. This was the third and final time Saxony was shifted geographically. It had originally been near the modern day territories of Brunswick and Luneburg, then it shifted to Anhalt under the House von Askanier, and finally, to its current position. Lusatia, Lausitz in German, had belonged to various Saxon states before the Emperor - at the time, The Holy Roman Empire was ruled by The House von Luxemburg - inherited Lausitz and added it to his Kingdom of Bohemia. Lusatia has remained part of Bohemia ever since, even as Bohemia passed to the Hussite heretics, then the Jagiellonians, and finally the Habsburgs. I doubted Krystyna wanted to give up a scrap of land away to Saxony. She wanted The Lands of The Bohemian Crown in total - she said it herself, she wanted Bohemia, Moravia, Lusatia, and Silesia.

"Very well, we can do this without the Saxons." Krystyna smirked, confidence clear in her face. The Electorate of Saxony was occupied and its army was in exile somewhere in southern Germany, she really didn't need that to make Bohemia her own. Honestly, an alliance with Bavaria within The Holy Roman Empire and Krystyna's links to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Principality of Transylvania outside of it will be more than enough to ensure that Krystyna stays on the Bohemian throne. Even if the Habsburgs manage to push Krystyna out of Prague, Polish, Lithuanian, Transylvania, and Bohemia troops will be right there to reclaim her capital city. In fact, if it is necessary, I have no qualms over dispatching Russian troops to help Krystyna defeat the Habsburgs.

"Well, you definitely have this all figured out. I can't wait to see you crowned in Prague." I smiled at Krystyna, we weren't lovers anymore, but we were still friends. She was going to be my closest ally, she was going to be the vehicle which spreads Russian influence far deeper into Europe than our borders could ever penetrate, and she will be the woman who reshapes eastern Europe forever. We may be rivals in some ways, struggling over who really controls those states, but in the end, whether The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a vassal state or just an ally, The Tsardom of Russia wins either way. Lady Krystyna is the result of numerous great Eastern European dynasties - she is descended from the Piast, the Premyslid, the Jagiellon, the Bathory, and, of course, the Wlodzislawa, an unknown dynasty, but a dynasty she will make great. She will rise to greatness and, very soon, it will all start in Prague.

"Thank you Anastasia. Once the treaty is signed, Scholastyka and I are going to return to Poland. She'll be in Warszawa, subtly preparing the country for my rule, while I'll be on my estates in Mazowia and Belz, putting the final touches on my plan and waiting for the Swedes to defeat the Habsburgs." Krystyna explained, proving that we'll be separated yet again very soon. She will finally be putting her plans into action, taking Bohemia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Transylvania, and from there, potentially the rest of Hungary, Croatia, and even The Kingdom of Naples. Lady Krystyna was about to go from a noblewoman with holdings near Warsaw and in western Ruthenia to one of the greatest and most powerful women in history. She will leave behind a collection of strong and centralized Kingdoms, Kingdoms which shall trade, fight with, and cooperate with The Tsardom of Russia. Lady Krystyna will be the most powerful single ruler, but with my help and the help of my successors, there will be a bloc of loyal Kingdoms who will expand themselves. Perhaps one day, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth will push along the Baltic coast and into Brandenburg, perhaps Bohemia will expand inside The Holy Roman Empire, undermining Habsburg influence in Germany, perhaps if Krystyna herself does not form Hungary, her Transylvanian successors will, fighting against the Habsburgs and The Ottoman Empire to take the rest of The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, and perhaps, Krystyna's heirs in Naples, if she gets that far, will move further with the Angevin claims - after all, Krystyna taking Naples is based on the fact that Hungary and Naples were both ruled by the French House d'Anjou and, briefly, held in personal union - claiming Sicily and the parts of Ottoman Albania which formed the Medieval Principality of Durazzo. The future of eastern and southern Europe is in the hands of The House Wlodzislawa, all the while, The House Rurikovich will be looking over this, using all of it to benefit The Tsardom of Russia.

Our plans were set and, soon enough, Lady Krystyna would finally put them into action, though first, we had to finalize The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya with The Ottoman Empire. Terezia, Yasamin, and Katherine joined us before we made our way over to negotiation seven of us sat down and we waited for Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier to join us. We secured our land and our rights to get ships through the Dardanelles, I also initiated my plan to guarantee The Ottomans' borders - in order to prevent my future enemies in Austria and Persia from taking advantage of the situation - and Helena had, at least tentatively, agreed to it, but there was still more to discuss. I had my way of keeping The Ottoman Empire from growing or shrinking, but I still needed to find a way to make sure Helena couldn't just retake Crimea and Caucasia twenty years from now. She, of course, insisted she wouldn't, but I'd be a fool to trust my enemy.

Of course, it was one thing to write land exchanges into a treaty - that was standard fair - and free passage through the Turkish Straits was also pretty easy to put into a treaty. Guaranteeing The Ottomans' borders was an unconventional move, however, from the perspective of the Habsburgs and the Persians, such a move is actually more to the Turks benefit than Russia's - my simple-minded enemies would assume my goal is simply to destroy The Ottoman Empire by any means necessary, that couldn't be further from the truth, my goal is to expand Russia at the expense of The Ottoman Empire without anyone else being able to expand, I want a net gain for The Tsardom of Russia, not just a power shift from Constantinople to Vienna - but, either way, it got into the treaty. This means that Helena can rebuild her armies and maintain her borders, but, due to the agreements, my protection ends if she moves to expand her borders or if she builds her troops up beyond a level I approve of. So, without too much difficulty, I've managed to limit The Ottoman Empire's size, but it would be considerably harder to limit The Ottoman Empire's ability to wage war in a treaty. How exactly does one put it in writing that I want my enemies to be perpetually weaker than my country but stronger than any other? That was a bit of a challenge for our delegation to come up with, but, as Sultana Helena and Fatimah entered the negotiation room, Terezia and I were prepared to do just that.

* * *

"Good morning Sultana-regent, good morning Grand Vizier," I greeted warmly, watching their reactions as Terezia translated into Arabic for our foreign guests "Yesterday was a very productive day in terms of negotiations, hopefully today can be one as well. I would be quite pleased if we were to complete negotiations, finalize The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, and sign it today."

A few more mundane greetings and we got to work for today. Terezia and I had one last goal from this treaty, a goal which would accomplish more than enough to erase our failure to achieve reparations for Georgia and Krystyna's - admittedly wishful and unrealistic - demand that the Turks evacuate Hungary. Krystyna didn't believe that it would work, but she figured that, if it were possible, this was the time it would happen, hence she tried. We wanted The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya to permanently make The Ottoman Empire weaker than The Tsardom of Russia, as mentioned, this would be difficult, however, Yelizaveta had a novel idea to accomplish this. Liz, inspired by my policy of using the Russian Orthodox Church to justify my absolutism, claim the divine right to rule, and, through architecture and music, symbolize the power and the beauty of my new Russia, has suggested that we spread the Russian Orthodox Church to The Ottoman Empire. Only this time, rather than justifying autocracy, we will be advocating for autonomy and independence. The Balkan peninsula contains huge populations of Orthodox Christians, including Greeks, Bulgarians, Serbs, Bosnians, Romanians, and portions of the Bosnian and Albanian populations. We want to weaponize those Orthodox Christians against The Ottoman Empire. Of course, there revolutions are doomed to fail, however, because of them, The Ottoman Empire will constantly have to police the Balkans, fighting against instability. All the while, those people will be educated to idolize Russia, preparing them for Russia's eventual expansion into the Balkans.

"The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople was once the head of the Orthodox Church, the highest priest in The Byzantine Empire, however, the Ecumenical Patriarch betrayed the Orthodox people when he bent the knee to The Ottoman Empire. The Orthodox Church, much like the title of Third Rome, is now centered on Moscow. Fittingly, we demand that the Orthodox Churches of The Ottoman Empire shift from the Ecumenical Patriarch to the Patriarch of Moscow. It is only right that all Orthodox Christians are brought back together under the Russian Orthodox Church." I demanded. I decided to include Russia's claim to being the true heir of Rome in this declaration. I watched as Terezia translated and I saw Sultana Helena's face twist into shock. I was aware that this could be difficult, after all, she was born Helena of Gothia, an Orthodox Princess in Theodoro - my understanding is that her late husband, Suleiman III, made her convert to Sunni Islam as one of the terms of their marriage, this is not required, many Sultans have had Orthodox wives in the past, though Suleiman did make a show of requesting that - in any case, she still connected to her Orthodox past and she had considerable support among her Orthodox subjects. Of course, this wasn't about her, turning the Balkan populations against The Ottoman Empire was a long term scheme, one which would be accelerated only if Helena is eventually succeeded by a strict and intolerant Sultan, something which may take quite a few generations, especially if Helena and Fatimah maintain a strong influence on The Ottoman Empire going forward.

"No. The Ecumenical Patriarch has always been the head of the Orthodox Church. I will not have the Orthodox people turn to a rogue pretender in Moscow." Helena replied, adamant that my suggestion was far too extreme. Fortunately, we had learned how to negotiate with Sultana Helena yesterday, therefore, we only demanded the most extreme version of what we had wanted. Lady Krystyna, ultimately, wanted all of Hungary, she didn't demand that, but she did get an independent Principality of Transylvania and she did try, and fail, to get Turkish troops to evacuate those Hungarian lands, who knows what she would have been able to get if she started with actually demanding Hungary? Therefore, we started with demanding all of the Orthodox peoples under the Russian church, meaning that, now, we can demand something slightly smaller but still wholly unreasonable and present it as entirely reasonable. This is the art of shrewd negotiations.

"Then how about this - autonomous Orthodox Churches in Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Romania, and Greece, with their own Patriarchs, who are chosen by the Patriarch of Moscow, but they must be approved by the priests and bishops of those autonomous churches?" Yelizaveta suggested, presenting it as a new idea. In reality, Yelizaveta had already presented this plan to Terezia and I before hand whilst we were waiting, she figured out both the first suggestion which Helena refused and this counter-proposal. My little sister wanted to claim that this was all merely inspired by me, but there was more to it than just that. She may not be interested in politics, but she is interested in spending time with me, therefore, as a side effect, she has indeed grown quite aware in politics. This suggestion, while it may be inspired by my use of the Russian Orthodox Church within my borders, is only possible because it has gone through Yelizaveta's brilliant mind.

"The Romanian people are in your Moldavia and your Transylvania, those left behind within Wallachia are in the hands of a vassal Prince. We can't promise you a Romanian Orthodox Church because, for the most part, the Romanians are outside of The Ottoman Empire proper." Fatimah countered, the Grand Vizier was finding any angle she could to cut down our demands as much as possible, though this time, I do suppose her reasoning was sound. Moldavia will indeed be incorporated into the Catholic, albeit tolerant, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth while The Principality of Transylvania, despite being populated by Orthodox Romanians, is dominated by Catholic Hungarians, both the nobility, including the Bathory, and the Szekely minority, a group of Hungarians residing in Transylvania. It doesn't make sense to establish a subversive Orthodox Church in lands held by our Catholic allies. The Principality of Wallachia, however, is an Orthodox state, unfortunately, one which is largely a slave to The Ottoman Empire, but an Orthodox state nonetheless. I suppose that I could argue that the Church needs to be established in Wallachia in case The Ottoman Empire annexes the territory, however, the fact that they are shooting down parts of this suggestion rather than the suggestion as a whole, it seems that Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier are going to accept this after a little bit more of this cutting away at the fringes.

"I will not allow my fellow Greeks to belong to a Russian church, they have always answered to the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople. I will not allow the Bosnians to go either, the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are diverse, filled with Muslims and Catholics as well as Orthodox Christians. I will not allow for political agitation so close to the borders and in such a diverse area." Helena replied, making an interesting slip-up along the way. Bosnia is not all that close to the border, especially considering that The Ottomans have taken Dalmatia, Slavonia, Istria, and parts of Hungary from their enemies in Austria and Venice, that is, unless, Helena is well aware that this is a long term scheme and that, in the not too distant future, Lady Krystyna will move the Ottoman border much closer to Bosnia. That does indeed make sense, after all, Lady Krystyna has hardly been subtle with her ambitions for The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, including the medieval Kingdom of Croatia.

"Though you will accept the creation of a Serbian Orthodox Church and a Bulgarian Orthodox Church under Russian influence?" I asked. I will make sure that Terezia interprets these Churches as broadly as possible, making sure to include Montenegrin Christians in the Serbian Church and the Slavic Orthodox Christians in the Macedonia region in the Bulgarian Church. Along the middle of the Balkans, we can have a range of loyal Slavic peoples from the Adriatic Sea to the Black Sea, all of which will be slowly but surely turned against The Ottoman Empire, so that, perhaps a century from now, perhaps two centuries from now, The Tsardom of Russia will be able to create a network of vassal states and loyal allies going all the way down the Balkan peninsula.

"Very will, I will accept a Serbian Orthodox Church and a Bulgarian Orthodox Church, now, is there anything else?" Sultana Helena asked, this time, we had nothing further, we got what we wanted. By causing problems for The Ottoman Empire and turning the Balkan Christians against Constantinople, we can make it incredibly difficult for The Ottoman Empire to fight against The Tsardom of Russia, however, at the same time, we can use those same Churches to make sure the Serbians and the Bulgarians reject the Habsburgs or anyone else who tries to take the Balkans away from the Russian sphere of influence. This is not the most direct way of stunting The Ottoman Empire, however, I think I prefer it that way, this way, I can sap away at the Turks with some level of secrecy. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier will know exactly what I am doing, but The Ottomans will not always be ruled by people quite as intelligent and capable as the two of them.

"Excellent, that will be all. Scholastyka, if you will." I turned to the Polish junior representative - the lowest ranking person here who wasn't a guest - who had been recording the terms of the treaty. She passed it to each representative, myself and Yelizaveta, and Sultana Helena and Fatimah. Scholastyka Wettyn, Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa, Tsarevna Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, and, finally, my official signature filled the left side. On the right, Grand Vizier Fatimah bint Abdul signed in Arabic, below that, Sultana Helena signed with the official signature of the Ottoman Sultan. Turning back over the master copy of The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, I stamped it with the double-headed eagle of Russia, I slid the treaty across the table, for Sultana Helena to stamp it. She handed it back over, revealing a stamp of two scimitars and the name of The Ottoman Empire in Arabic script. The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya was complete. This original, in Cyrillic, would be taken to Moscow, a copy in Polish would go to Warsaw, one in Hungarian will go to Gyulafehervar, a Portuguese one to Lisbon, a Georgian one will remain here for King Constantine IV, and copies in both Turkish and Arabic will go to Konstantiniyye. In any case, The Russo-Ottoman War of 1623-1625 was officially over, with a comprehensive Russian victory.

* * *

I stood in a purple and gold dress, watching as Sultana Helena and Fatimah walked down the steps of Konstantinovskaya, boarding a carriage to cross the border and board a ship at Trabzon. They politely declined using the port of Batumi here in The Kingdom of Georgia, I suspected this was a politically motivated move. The Tsardom of Russia sacked Trabzon and stole the remaining Byzantine and Komnenos relics left over from the Empire of Trebizond, a Byzantine rump state, however, by going to this city and boarding a ship there, the Sultana of The Ottoman Empire is demonstrating that Trabzon is still very much hers. I didn't mind, I have Crimea and I have Armenia and Azerbaijan in Caucasia. If I want Trebizond in The Ottoman Empire, I will simply take it for myself later on. I did have another Byzantine rump state in my borders though, The Principality of Theodoro, so, between that and my claim to the Third Rome being enforced, perhaps it would be fitting to give the new settlements I will build in Crimea and along the Black Sea a Greco-Roman twist.

"Tell me Liz, what is would the Roman equivalent of Tsarina be?" I asked Yelizaveta, as my sister joined me at the top of the steps, overlooking the leaving Ottomans. I glanced over at the beautiful woman on my right, seeing her in a black and red dress. The color scheme was dark, alluring, sexy, her blonde hair and blue eyes conveyed youth and innocence, but the black and red - conventionally evil colors - expressed danger and power. Yelizaveta would be a great woman one day, there is no one else who I would want to replace me as Tsarina of Russia. Yelizaveta is the only person I trust to ensure my legacy is a strong, healthy Russia on an upward trajectory. I want to lay the seeds for further expansion, further influence, and further greatness, and I want Yelizaveta to ensure that those seeds live on to grow and grow so that they may flourish and, eventually, be cultivated by our heirs. Liz is there to bring permanence to my reign.

"Well, Tsarina is the feminine form of Tsar, derived from Caesar, so I suppose that it would be something like Caesarea." Liz answered, she was indeed right, that was the etymological equivalent, however, I didn't want to name a city Caesarea, nor did I want to try and Russify that name, I didn't want the name to end up too close to something like Tsaritsyn. Therefore, I asked Liz for another Greco-Roman variant "Well, the other equivalent would of Tsarina would be Augusta, the feminine form of Augustus. Beyond that, well, the Greek form of Augustus is Sebastian."

"Sebastian...Sebastopol...how about Sevastopol? Seems like a nice way to rename Sultana Helena's home city after myself without being too obvious about it." I suggested. I didn't necessarily want to snub Sultana Helena on a personal level, however, she has been my greatest opponent thus far, proving a far greater challenge that either of the Polish Kings - neither Zygmunt August II or Jan the Prussian were particularly impressive, though, given that the former was Lady Krystyna's mentor for a time, perhaps there was more to him than just the failed King of a failed state who I defeated in battle - therefore, I feel like celebrating my triumph over her. Sebastos, meaning venerable in Greek, serving as the basis of the name Sebastian, and being an equivalent of Augustus, is a title derived from the first reigning Tsarina of Russia, therefore, Theodoro shall become Sevastopol, the first city of my new Crimea and a testament to my increasingly ambitious plans for southern Russia. Russian influence will radiate outward from Sevastopol in Crimea, Yerevan in Armenia, and Baku in Azerbaijan, Russian influence will push south from our traditional heartlands in Muscovy, and Russian influence will come in the form of Russified immigrants from Germany, Bohemia, The Ottoman Empire, and whomever else wishes to join my mighty state, provided, of course, they have something to contribute. Together, this great horde of Russian influence will finally civilize the great steppes and bring civilization to southern Russia. The days of Cossack warlords dominating the steppe, only nominally under Russian authority are over. The Cossacks are useful, they are great warriors, but they will be closely monitored and controlled by a slew of new towns and fortresses erected across their wild country. I will tame southern Russia and I will tame the Cossacks, just as I defeated The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, just as I made The Tsardom of Russia an absolutist state, just as I crushed The Ottoman Empire.

"Naming cities?" Lady Krystyna asked, joining us along with Scholastyka Wettyn - the Saxon-Polish noblewoman was clinging to her fellow delegate, perhaps out of familiarity, perhaps out of respect, or perhaps out of attraction - after all, my dear Krystyna did emphatically announce her sexuality by kissing me earlier today, so, to someone like little Schosia, a shy little girl blossoming into a woman and realizing her sexuality, Lady Krystyna was a nice person to be around. I was glad about this, I already moved on with my sweet little sister Yelizaveta, it would be nice to see Krystyna find happiness too, she certainly deserves it. Of course, such a crush would help Scholastyka come far in the world, she could potentially find herself the second most powerful woman in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, holding sway over a country stretching from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has shrunk, thanks to my rule, but, with Lady Krystyna at the helm, it will still be a considerable power, a literal wall separate east from west, a Kingdom which will be both European and Russian, yet uniquely Polish.

"Indeed I am, after all, we both have lands to take care of." I replied to Lady Krystyna, turning to see the Polish noblewoman in a white dress with red and blue trim - red and white were the colors of Bohemia while blue, white, and red were the colors of Moravia - the dress symbolizes her first target, The Lands of The Bohemian Crown. Krystyna, once she takes this Czech Kingdom, will instantly propel herself to a mid-level power in Europe. She will not be quite as strong as France or Austria or England, but she will be just as strong, if not stronger, than the likes of Brandenburg, The Netherlands, or Venice, laying a mighty foundation and a foundation that she will only be able to grow stronger and stronger from. The lands I was referring to, however, are the lands The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gained out of the former Principality of Moldavia, something which has considerably grown Warsaw's state "The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth now has a coast on the Black Sea, you even have a port in the form of Akkerman, but Akkerman is not a good enough Black Sea port for your realm. I'll have Sevastopol, but, outside of Crimea, my main Black Sea port is Ochakiv, Ochakiv is not a good enough port for Russian Zaporizhia. I propose we create a joint Russo-Polish port, on Russian soil, but near the border with Polish Moldavia. A new Odessa, a mighty Black Sea port to serve the enlightened Greco-Roman people, protecting them from the wild steppe."

"A new Odessa? That seems a bit romantic, but a new port, a joint port, seems like a good idea for both Moldavia and Zaporizhia." Krystyna replied, a bit amused by my suggestion - it was a bit romantic to call it a new Odessa, everything about the Third Rome angle was romantic in all honesty, but that romanticism came with prestige, reputation, and power - the Greco-Roman antiquity still held weight in Europe, painting Moscow and Russia as the successors to Rome meant that all that prestige and power belonged to The Tsardom of Russia. The truth is, the ancient Odessa was probably no further north than Bulgaria, somewhere that was considered wild and foreign by the Athenians and Corinthians, but, in actuality, wasn't nearly as far from ancient Greece as this proposed new Odessa would be, but this port would help settle the wild steppe. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not do a good job of taming its Cossacks, which General Perevernykruchenko proved by quickly and easily turning those Cossacks against King Zygmunt August and later Jan the Prussian. Zaporizhia may prove harder to tame than even parts of southern Russia along the Don River, but, with a major new port city like this theoretical Odessa, the tide of civilization may be too strong for all the Cossacks, all the harsh winds, and all the untapped wilderness to resist. Lady Krystyna gains a major port welcoming Polish ships, I gain Polish help settling the coast of the Ukraine.

* * *

I sat on my bed in a gold and black robe, tapping my fingers against one of the posts of the canopy bed, the other hand tracing the slight patterns on my robe. I wanted to keep my hands busy, holding me back as my body was filling with anticipation. I knew that, any moment, Yelizaveta would step through that door wearing nothing but a similar robe, having snuck out of her room as soon as she was confident the coast was clear. Sultana Helena and her Grand Vizier are gone, awarding my little sister and I some privacy. I had to remind myself that we weren't going to have sex, Yelizaveta and I were holding ourselves back until we were in our palace, after all, a palace named after the two of us was the perfect place to make love for the first time. I wanted that, I desired it, however, I couldn't deny that I was absolutely and utterly horny right now. I was completely ready to explode with passion and I was struggling to hold myself back. I thought about taking my hands and putting an end to the matter myself, taking the edge off, but then I heard the door open. My whole body shook with pleasure as the door slowly but surely opened.

The door opened to reveal a pair of pale legs leading up to a pink and white robe. My eyes scanned across a tight, hourglass figure, lingering just barely at her hips, knowing the tuft of blonde hair and the gentle pink lips just beneath that thin layer of fabric. I then looked over a pair of amazing breasts, contained in the pink fabric, but presenting themselves to me through the deep cleavage of the robe, just a little too open. I saw the thin, beautiful neck and the long, blonde hair running down her back, everything was perfect, exactly what I had been expecting, however, after that, things changed, quickly. That neck gave way to a foreign chin dimple and an all too familiar set of lips, but a set of lips that didn't belong to my little sister. My suspicions were confirmed when my eyes finally caught her eyes...one green, one hazel. Lady Krystyna made it very clear that she wanted to make love to me during this trip, and she was finally seizing the moment.

I should have resisted, I should have objected when she crawled on my bed, I should have said no when her lips crashed against mine, but...the truth is, I didn't want to. I knew I was betraying Yelizaveta, the poor girl was probably leaning against her wall, listening to this, tears of hurt and betrayal flowing down her face. I would've stopped if I were able to focus on that, if I were able to think of how my actions were affecting my true love, but I couldn't focus on that. Between my love for Lady Krystyna and my sexually deprived state, I couldn't say no to this. This was everything I had wanted tonight, the only difference is that it was coming from Lady Krystyna rather than my little sister. The relationship with her had been toxic, political competition sapping away at our relation, but, in the bedroom, if anything, that made it better. I wanted to dominate her, I wanted to show her that The Tsardom of Russia, in every way, shape, and form, was superior to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Bohemia, The Lands of The Hungarian Crown, The Kingdom of Naples, or any other state she may envision, but then, once she writhed in passion, she would turn me around, her thighs straddling me, her arms holding my hands above my head, and her lips and breasts floating just above mine. This too was a game of political struggle, but it was a game I could not resist. Kissing Yelizaveta was electrifying, having sex with her would no doubt be even better, but I had to wait for that, despite all the struggle and the toxicity, I never had to wait with Lady Krystyna.

Her robe slid up as she came over me, revealing more and more of those legs and the sweltering beauty between them. Her lips touched mine as her bare thighs ran against mine, I moaned into her mouth and she took the opportunity to slide her tongue into my mouth. I could try and paint her as some sort of vile seductress - she was certainly acting like it - but I couldn't, she was an innocent, virgin girl before she came to Kolomenskoye with me. Every time she touched me, I remember when I touched her the same way, teaching her, every time she kissed me, I remembered when I kissed her the same way, pleasing her, every time she bit down on my skin, I remembered when I bit down on her the same way, dominating her. I had her this way, I wanted this, I was responsible for this...and I was loving it. I felt my stomach twist and I felt my muscles begin to tense, but, as much as I searched for it, I could not feel an ounce of regret.

She bit down on my neck, her hands trailing down the inside of my robe, pulling the garment apart, exposing more and more of my skin. Her hands finally stopped when they reached the sash keeping it all together. Krystyna slowly curled her hand, gently sliding her knuckles against my stomach as she found the knot. She slid her thumb into the knot and pulled it apart with ease - my former...and I suppose current lover did not want any clothing to slow her down - the sash untied, Krystyna quickly pulled it all the way open, exposing every inch of me. She sat down on her perfect butt, admiring my body. I bit down on my lip and arched my back, demanding satisfaction as her eyes devoured my body. Krystyna gathered the fabric of the robe in her hands, I rose my hips to let her slip it out from under me, and she discarded the garment in its entirety, throwing it on the floor. Her own robe was next as she untied it, I couldn't help myself but reach up and help her get it off faster. I, knowingly and willingly, took her robe in my hand and threw it across the room, wanting the Polish noblewoman just as naked as I was. In the process, I deprived myself of my last strand of innocence in the complete and utter murder of my sister's trust and love.

Murder evidently felt heavenly as Krystyna bit down on my left nipple, pulling lightly. Krystyna alternated between pain and pleasure, biting at my nipples but then licking them, soothing them...this drove me absolutely insane. Krystyna switched to the right, working my breast the same way, making me impatient. This was too much waiting, too much playing around, too much build up, I needed release, and I needed it now. I released a pathetic whimper, one that did not fit an absolute monarch at all, but one which got me exactly what I wanted. Krystyna's lips were replaced with her nimble fingers on my breasts as she slid down the bed, sliding down to the space between my legs. Green and hazel eyes looked into mine as Krystyna kissed the blonde tuft of hair just about my most intimate of areas. It was a move she had done before, something which I had done to her as well, but this final moment, this announcement of what she was about to do still had an effect on me, telling me it was time to brace myself. I felt an exhale of hot area against my lower lips before a warm, wet tongue came across them.

The tension in my muscles melted away as I was overcome by pleasure. Krystyna licked me over and over again, each individual movement driving me closer and closer to the final release of pleasure. Finally, it came, I arched my back and angled my hips as close to Krystyna's mouth as possible, I screamed out in unrestricted pleasure and my eyes rolled back, wave after wave of orgasm poured through my body, exiting out into Krystyna's mouth. I laid there panting as my Polish lover, as the woman who I thought I was done with, came up, crawling out from between my legs to right next to me. Krystyna laid down and she kissed me, I kissed her back immediately, not even capable of hesitating. I longed for tasting myself on the tongue of another woman and the future Queen of Bohemia, King of Poland, and Princess of Transylvania did not disappoint. She may soon leave forever, going off to Prague or Warsaw or Gyulafehervar, but a piece of her will always stay with me. I felt guilty being with Krystyna because I knew I could never love her fully, I knew a part of my heart would always belong to Yelizaveta, but now, now that I'm with Liz, I realize that a part of my heart belongs to Lady Krystyna too. I'll never be able to love anyone as wholly as they love me, I'll never be content.

I made sure that, if nothing else, Lady Krystyna would be content tonight. I kissed and bit down her neck and down onto her clavicle, then trailing kisses down from her collarbone to her breasts. I sucked her nipples first, then I bit them, Krystyna made me feel pain then pleasure, I made her feel pleasure then pain then pleasure again. In this competition, I couldn't be outdone, not even in the bedroom. I bit down and then I licked the pain away, making the Polish noblewoman moan in the process, moaning my name. I kissed my way down from the breasts, meanwhile, I ran my left hand over the nipple I had just attended to before sliding it down from her breast, floating my hands just over her skin down her sides. I came down to my destination and cupped her ass at the same time.

I glanced all around me, neatly trimmed blonde hair above, flawless pale thighs to either side of me, and moist, pink lips in front of me. I brought my lips to those lips, kissing them and then licking, my left hand squeezing from behind at the same time, meanwhile, I brought my right hand up against my breast before sliding up my skin, ending up below my chin. I licked at her clit as Krystyna truly came into her arousal, giving me the opportunity to slip a finger in between those lips as I continued to lick. One finger became two as Krystyna grew closer and closer, I licked and fingered her quickly and fiercely, unleashing lightning warfare on her just as I had unleashed it on The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. My lightning warfare broke through the Polish defenses yet again as Krystyna came, I slowed down, but continued licking her and pumping her with my fingers until she came back down, waiting for the last waves of orgasm to leave her body and for her muscles to give away, releasing my fingers from her much too neglected core. Krystyna had missed my touch, that much was clear, and she had gotten it again, though...at what cost?

I laid down next to her and listened as Krystyna's pants died down and then turned into gentle breathing as she fell asleep. I laid there for a few moments longer before slowly and methodically getting up. I slipped out of bed and gathered my golden robe, slipping it on and stepping into a pair of slippers. I snuck out of my room and came to Yelizaveta's door. I knocked once and that was all it took for my little sister to open the door - she had been waiting for me - revealing a puffy-eyed and angry young woman. I reached out to comfort Liz, but my little sister rejected me, brushing off my touching and shutting the door in my face. She didn't want to see me.

* * *

I love you all, peace out!


	31. The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace

Alright, wow guys, this story has become the longest thing I've written so far and it will probably remain amongst the longest for a long time coming. I started this story almost a year ago and now we're starting the last act of it, so...here we are, the beginning of the end. I think my writing has improved during this story, about halfway through I took some much needed advice and started cutting down my run-on sentences. There are still some, after all, I do have a pretty tangential writing style and I tend to embrace a sort-of stream-of-consciousness method. It came across to me, as a writer, as nice and flowing, though as a reader, I understand how it can seem endless and exhausting. Hopefully I've managed to find a good way of keeping my sentences relatively short without sacrificing much content. I am also aware that I have a lot of crutches while writing - I say therefore too much, I use lists of three when one would suffice, and I tend to minimalize dialogue because, well, I think my dialogue sucks. I have been trying to get better and I hope that, if nothing else, the effort is showing. One more thing I've been struggling with is trying to distinguish between Anastasia and Helena more, I admit that has probably been one of my shortcomings this story. I am not a perfect writer, I don't think I ever will be, but I think this story has helped me grow and I can't wait to finish the story of Anastasia and Yelizaveta and of Helena and Fatimah.

This chapter will be a Russia chapter and I think the next chapter will be as well. The reason for this is because The Ottoman Empire is pretty much at the place in the story where they're ready for the climax, however, the Russian plot needs to advance more to meet up with it, therefore - dammit I said it again - act three will be more Russia heavy, at least more so than the end of act two which was even an even five-five in terms of war-time chapters. That being said, given that The Ottoman Empire is pretty much ready for the climax, that means when we do get to the last few Helena chapters, they will advance pretty quickly. Enough teasing about what act three will be, lets get to what act three actually is - here is chapter thirty-one of The Legacy of The Romans!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXI.

The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace.

* * *

The soldiers of The Russian Imperial Army returned to Moscow as heroes. They were the men who expanded Russia and defeated our enemies, not just The Ottomans, but The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth before them, and we were the women who led them to victory. I sat with Yelizaveta on an open-topped wagon as we rode back into our capital city. The two sisters of Russia waved to the awaiting crowds as we passed the Kremlin and Saint Basil's Cathedral - relics of the old regime - and our grand parade continued through the city. We moved northeast from the old core of the city to the lands we cleared for my White Square. I awed as Saint Sofiya's Cathedral and the Aleksander Citadel came into view as we neared the heart of my new Moscow. The parade turned right into my new White Square, the Church behind us, the Citadel to our right, and the Tsaritsa Maria Davidovna Building to the left. The two hands of a monarch represented by these buildings named for my parents, military might and bureaucracy. One would squash my enemies and conquer new lands, the other would care for and cultivate those lands, properly bringing them into my state, taxing them, and governing them. Bureaucrats would handle the day-to-day affairs of the land, but ultimately, all the real power gathered in the hands of one person...me.

There was a wooden stage awaiting us in the center of White Square, a podium at its center and a pair of Russian banners hung from poles on either side, but these poles had more than just those banners on them, for, at the very top, they both flew purple ribbons, the symbol of my Third Rome. The banners and the ribbons were one symbol of authority, but nothing showed my authority more clearly than the massive palace sat behind the stage. The white and gold walls of The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace stretched from one end of White Square to the other, filling the horizon. Monumental pillars faced White Square, point up to a triangular pediment. At the center of this decorated, Greco-Roman inspired architectural element, sit Yelizaveta and I in thrones, halos around our heads. The present and future divine rulers of Russia immortalized in the architecture of our eternal palace. Our carriage stopped and the two of us got off. I offered Yelizaveta my hand as we walked up to the stage, hope filled my eyes as she looked down at the hand, she bit on her lip, contemplating. I heard Liz take a deep breath before walking away, walking up the stage. I closed my outstretched hand and caught back up with her, climbing the steps with her and standing at the podium. My little sister and heiress was at my side, she was giving me all the public support I could ask for, but in private, the hurt and the betrayal I left her with after what I did with Krystyna at Konstantinovskaya are abundantly clear.

I faced the wonderful Russian Orthodox Cathedral at the southern end of White Square, named for my youngest sister - well, officially it is named after the same Saint she is, but it really is named after her - but then, I looked closer to the stage. At either end of the base stood the Italian architects behind all this, Camillo and Andrea, behind them, filling the square, where the serfs that build all this. There were thousands upon thousands of them - it was no mean feat to build all of this in just the three years since I hired the architects, sure, there was still plenty more to do - decorations, embellishment, completion of rooms at the outer ends of the Palace, Citadel, and bureaucratic Building - but that could be done with new serfs - I had a plan to both reward these serfs for their hard and diligent work here and begin my plans for the vast expanses of southern Russia. Presently, all of these serfs were my personal property, inherited from my father, just like The Tsardom of Russia, they were one of the two apparatuses that made us particularly rich - the other being that the crown owns all of the vodka distilleries in Russia - but they could be of more use to me as free men. I could always buy new serfs, especially given that the lands in Byelorussia and the Ukraine we took from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth contain an existing and prospering system of serfdom. As I stood at the podium overlooking White Square, I put my plan into action.

"The Ottoman Empire has been pushed out of Crimea and the Caucasus, a new Russia reigns victorious in eastern Europe. Our foes in Warsaw and Constantinople tremble, our enemies in Stockholm and on the steppes of Central Asia await the day that Russian troops will roll over their lands with utter dread! We have made our name clear all across the world as the Third Rome! The ancient Russian heartlands in Kiev have been reclaimed! The future belongs to the Russians! Soon enough, not even the Chinese will be safe from our grasp, Peking itself will whimper as Russian troops reach the Pacific and spread along the coast from there. Russia is on the cusp of becoming the most powerful country in the world and the men here in White Square have all contributed to this vision. The soldiers, who followed me into The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and against the Turks, the architects from distant lands in Italy who designed all of this that you see around us, and the serfs who have built all of it! I recognize that the common serfs in this Square have done an amazing service to The Tsardom of Russia, building a holy Cathedral, a grand Citadel, an excellent base for our bureaucracy, and The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, the only architectural marvel in the world worthy of symbolizing what my sister and I have done and will do for Russia. To say my gratefulness to you serfs, I hereby declare you free! You shall be compensated for your lifetimes of labor with vast plots of land in the country we have reclaimed from The Great Horde, The Kazan Khanate, The Nogai Horde, and The Ottoman Empire ever since we escaped the shackles of The Mongols. So journey out to the steppes, cultivate the lands, and enjoy your freedoms. The armies of Russia shall protect you, all we ask in return is your appreciation, your taxes, and a portion of your grain. Once again, I thank all of you for your service to The Tsardom of Russia." I smirked as the crowds cheered, the serfs were grateful, and out of their gratitude, they would settle Russia's frontiers for me, all the while, serfs from our new western regions would arrive in Moscow to replace them.

The serfs cheered. The Russian people would remember me as a benevolent ruler who brought wealth and prosperity to their country, the Russian soldiers would remember me as a capable conqueror who accompanied her troops on grand campaigns deep into The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Ottoman Empire, and, perhaps in the future, into The Kingdom of Sweden, and the Russian aristocracy would remember me as the woman who seized absolute power and created an entire southern Russian population indebted to the Tsardom, all without noble intervention. I would erect new cities to stand alongside Sevastopol and Tsaritsyn in the south, I would feed those cities with the grain of these freed serfs, and I would confine the Cossacks, forcing the wild bands to either submit or disband. There would not be nobles in these new lands gained from Crimea, The Great Horde, Kazan, and Nogai, it would all be crown lands, all of it would feed my power. A victorious parade, an ambitious plot, and a new palace, everything is looking fantastic for my Russia.

* * *

The pillars of my new palace stood in front of the grand doors of the front facade. Yasamin, Yelizaveta, and I entered The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace from White Square, revealing the main hall. A towering, two story hall filled our vision, including a second story interior balcony supported by pillars. The white and black checkered pattern tile floor expanded endlessly in all directions. A circular pedestal stood in the center of the room, awaiting a statue of Yelizaveta and I - the statue could not be designed in time before she and I left for the war, therefore, the pedestal stands empty - and beyond that, the grand staircase leading up to the second floor. On either side of the staircase, still on the first floor, there were doors which led to the throne room. The throne room was located on the opposite side of this part of the palace, facing the rear facade. The rear facade faced empty space at the moment, however, I intended to eventually convert these grounds into palace gardens. This was the advantage of effectively creating a whole new city connected to the old Moscow, I had room to build whatever I wanted. White Square is only the beginning, I wanted to double or even triple the size of Moscow. I wanted to create a productive, modern, planned city out of the medieval capital of Russia, turning the city which was once a stockade on the Moskva River surrounded by nothing but forests into the envy of all Europe.

We crossed to this other end of the palace and entered the new throne room. A massive golden double-headed Russian eagle filled the wall behind the throne with an impressive relief sculpture. The eagle wears the red and white shield of the Muscovite horseman, when viewed from the entrance to the throne room, this eagle and its Muscovite coat of arms floats directly above my throne. The throne was large and grand with a secondary, smaller throne for a consort to the left - the monarch's right when they take the throne - both of these thrones were painted gold but covered in purple. The gold and the purple of these thrones were to symbolize the grand wealth and luxury of The Tsardom of Russia. The purple additionally symbolizes our claims to the Third Rome whilst the gold connects back to our Russian roots, matching the gold and black flag of Russia. I took my seat in the throne, turning around to see Yasamin and Yelizaveta. The Indo-Persian noblewoman clearly seemed impressed, after all, this is a titanic and expensive building, deeply embellished with precious metals and quality building materials, metals and materials which would only increase in number over the next few years as this palace is fully completed. Yelizaveta, trying to suppress her happiness due to my stupid and misguided mistake, could not fully hide her delight with our new palace, however, I knew we were still a long way from celebrating this palace the way we planned. I had broken my little sister's heart and her trust, and now, I had to pay the price.

"You were right about the Palace, Anastasia, it is magnificent. A bit too European for my taste, but it is clearly one of the finest examples of your architecture." Yasamin observed. This baroque palace certainly was different that the Persian and Indo-Islamic architecture she is accustomed to, but it is precisely the kind of palace that I need as a European monarch. If I were a monarch in Persia or Indian, I would have gone for a more local architectural style, after all, exoticism can be appealing, but a palace that is too exotic can clash with the city it belongs in. The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace is far enough away from the old medieval Russian architecture in the old heart of Moscow, while the Citadel and the Building are made to match it. The Saint Sofiya Cathedral is a mixture of Russian architecture and Baroque architecture, structurally similar to towering Russian churches like Saint Basil's, but decorated in the Italian style. Russian architecture does play a part in the other baroque buildings of White Square, after all, the pilasters of The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace are topped with miniature turnip domes. These small domes are golden with white stripes swirling up to the top. White Square is designed to be both Russian and European, reaching out to our western neighbors and establishing ourselves as a European power while maintaining our own culture and our own distinctiveness.

"I'm sure you will have plenty of magnificent palaces of your own once you conquer India. You can add turquoise and diamonds to the gold and silver that us Europeans are used to." I remarked, displaying my knowledge of their embellishment. Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani preferred Indo-Islamic and Persian architecture to my baroque and Russian, however, she recognized the beauty of baroque architecture, just like I can recognize the beauty that Yasamin will bring to India. Cities of the Deccan such as Hyderabad, Gulbarga, and Bidar will be transformed by the woman and her new Bahmanid Sultanate. To this day these cities stand as rump states of the old Bahmanid Sultanate, locked in a desperate struggle for survival as The Mughals expand southwards and the Empire of Vijayanagar, the City of Victory, pushes northwards, the rump Sultanates will be the easy part for Yasamin, she'll unite them easily, assuming those minuscule states survive the expansion of two of India's greatest empires. One, a Turco-Mongol Sunni state with ties to the once great Timurid dynasty, the other, the last bastion of Indian Hinduism, standing strong from its base in the southern Deccan, controlling a large, but disunited population of Dravidian peoples. It would potentially be a fascinating battle to observe, one the Europeans would surely use to steal more and more Indian ports, unfortunately for them, they will both fall to a Indo-Persian state under my influence.

"You know, once I do control the Deccan, I can offer you crown jewels made with Golconda diamonds." Yasamin suggested. I was eager to accept her offer, after all, a beautiful new crown and scepter - brought in to celebrate my confirmed status as the heiress of Rome - glistening with Indian diamonds, would perfectly symbolize my new found power. Such regalia would fit in perfectly with this throne in this palace with this golden eagle at my back. There was a distraction though, I watched as Bathory Terezia entered the throne room. The Hungarian woman who had been my regent had a solemn expression on her face and held an official, stamped envelope in her hand. This was something serious. The seriousness was only amplified when Terezia first walked up to Yelizaveta, her lover as far as she knows, and hugged my sister before attempting to kiss her. My sister was upset with me, and she would be fully entitled to kiss Terezia back, hurting me and betraying me just as much as I hurt and betrayed her with Krystyna beforehand, however, Liz was determined to be better than me. Liz moved her face and Terezia only kissed her cheek, Liz reciprocated the gesture to my right hand woman and the two shared a long, silent gaze before Terezia turned to me. The woman stood there, solemnly, and offered me the envelope. I accepted it and I unwrapped the golden ribbon holding it together, find the hand-written resignation inside.

"Tsarina Anastasia, Tsarevna Yelizaveta, Lady Yasamin," Terezia officially greeted each of us "You three are some of the most impressive, inspiring, and powerful women I have ever encountered. The years I spent with you, planning a war against The Ottoman Empire, serving as your regent in Moscow while you led the troops to victory, and overseeing the negotiations at Konstantinovskaya. I will forever love and cherish the experiences we shared together, however, today, I am resigning from my position as Russia's foreign minister, as well as my many unofficial positions. Do not mistake this for ingratitude, I am grateful for all you've done for me, but it is time for me to move on. In Portugal, I served a King who failed to recognize me, and, here in Russia, I served a country which allowed me to flourish, but a country that was never mine. My cousin, Lady Krystyna, is offering me the chance to return to Transylvania, perhaps even reestablish a Kingdom of Hungary, my place is there. As my final act, I have reached out as far away as Scandinavia and Germany, hoping to provide you with a woman just as capable as I was."

"Thank you Terezia, I accept your resignation. I understand the wish to be with Lady Krystyna more than most, I am sure the two of you will do great things together. I'm sure you were more than thorough with selecting your candidates. I'm confident that they will find great places in my government and my bureaucracy." I replied. I really did understand wanting to accompany Lady Krystyna on her journey through eastern and southern Europe, if I wasn't a monarch in my own right, I would want to join her too. I also had to applaud her initiative, Terezia must have come to the decision that she was leaving long ago, so much so that she already planned for her replacement. Her choice of female candidates is an interesting one, I never specified that I wanted an all female inner circle - my goal was to build up a group of capable and talented women in Moscow, however, it was never going to be exclusively women - however, as I glanced over at my little sister, hurt and pain evident in her expression, I realized something. Terezia thought that Yelizaveta was hurting because of her actions, the Transylvanian woman thought that she was the one who broke Liz's heart - a natural conclusion, after all, they were together before the war and now she was leaving - and now, she wanted to make sure Liz found someone new. I fully suspect that the candidates Terezia selected all happen to be young, beautiful women who are unmarried, in fact, they don't seem to show very much interest in men at all...so be it then, I will have plenty more plenty lesbians in my court, even if none of them will fill the hole in Yelizaveta's heart. I know I hurt her, I know what I did was absolutely wrong and weak and stupid and impatient, but I want to make up for it, I wanted to be the one who mends poor Liz's heart.

"Thank you, my Tsarina," Terezia bowed before leaving. She will be missed, after all, she was an exceptional woman and she served me in countless ways - even in her resignation, she acknowledged that she was far more than just my Foreign Minister, she had internal duties as well as external, she organized the alliance against The Ottoman Empire but then she served as my regent during the war and then led the negotiations. Terezia brought a very diverse set of skills to Moscow and, while I'm sure her candidates will be more than qualified, I question if any of them will quite be able to take on her vast work load. I may have to divide her duties amongst a group of these candidates. I will be an absolute monarch, but being an absolute monarch does not mean I have to rule stupidly, having all the power puts me in a position to delegate it. My state would barely expand beyond Moscow itself if I intended to rule entirely on my own, hence, the bureaucracy to control my lands. My state would be diplomatically isolated if I intended to handle all diplomatic affairs myself, hence, I need someone who can appeal to the distant capitals of Europe - Moscow may be establishing itself on the world stage, but that hardly means I can host any and all diplomatic arrangements in my capital itself. My state would collapse without me every time that Yelizaveta and I left on a military campaign, hence, I needed someone I trusted to serve as a regent, a regent who was strong enough and smart enough to resist any attempt by the nobles, or anyone else for that matter, to threaten Russian absolutism. My state required a very strong and very centralized government, a government which these candidates could, hopefully, provide.

* * *

"This room is yours, just opposite of mine." I told Liz as I showed her to our rooms on the third floor of the Palace. The first and second floors were the main part of the building, the part decorated in white and gold, the third floor, however, was built beneath the roof and contained dormers to increase space. Her bedroom and mine were designed to sit above the throne room, built inside of the triangular roof. Our chambers were equally sized and contained a number of rooms - the doors opened up to a small office space, places where we can work, read, and write in private, these then opened up to the main bedrooms. The bathing rooms were to the left of the bedroom while the dressing room was to the right. There were two of these rooms, one on either side, but I had only hoped on using one of the with her. Unfortunately, for the both of us, I had the perfect relationship going and I went and ruined it. I opened my door and offered Yelizaveta the chance to walk in with me, once again, I saw that ponderous expression on her face, the biting the lip, the averted eyes. Yelizaveta knew that if she entered the room with me, she wouldn't be able to resist me, our love and attraction would overcome the grudges and the resentment, but Liz was stronger than that, she knew that I betrayed her and that I had to be punished for my actions. Her heart wanted to come with me and forget, but her brain knew better than that. I trained her brain to never compromise, to be an unabashed absolutist just like I was, and now, now that uncompromising nature was turned against me.

"No...I can't Nastya...you know I can't. I love you, I waited for you, and just when I thought I finally had you, you go and have sex with Krystyna. I know she's beautiful and you loved her, but I can't just let you get away with that. I can't just let you cheat on me." Liz argued, pain evident in her voice. I took a deep breath and sat down at the chair behind my desk, hand in my face. Yelizaveta floated around the entrance of the room, she wanted to comfort me, she wanted to fix this, but she was still worried about being sucked back into a web of lies and betrayal. Liz wanted to fix our relationship, but it had to be fixed the right way. I loved my little sister, I loved her with all my heart, I loved her too much, but I still broke her heart. I not only jeopardized our relationship, but I jeopardized our very sisterhood. Yelizaveta spent her whole life believing that I was the perfect person - smart, beautiful, ambitious, destined to rule, and fearless in the face of the impossible - but my betrayal shattered that illusion. I wasn't just her sister and her lover, I was her idol, anything less than perfection was an insult to her very perception of me. I had to do better for Yelizaveta, I had to be perfect for her because she was perfect for me. I had sex with Krystyna, not only at Konstantinovskaya, but before then at Kolomenskoye too, meanwhile, Liz never had sex with Terezia, she had saved herself for me. My little sister was pure and virgin for me where I had not been, I had let fear of incestuous relationship starve my heart while she embraced it, and I had broken her heart while she remained true to me, even now when Terezia wanted to give her a goodbye kiss. Liz was perfect for me and now, I had to be perfect for her.

"I'm sorry," I pleaded, pathetically as tears streamed down my face. I should have wanted to pull myself together, after all, I was an absolutist monarch, I should use this desk to make sweeping declarations, grand decrees, and sign laws into existence, instead, I'm weeping into it. I didn't feel out of place though, after all, Yelizaveta was my heiress, I couldn't very well have an heiress with a broken heart. I was training Yelizaveta to replace me as the Tsarina of Russia, I couldn't have this painful, awkward tension between us, therefore, it was not only in my emotional, romantic, and sisterly interests to fix things with Liz, it was in my state interests. Liz rested a comforting hand on my sobbing shoulder, sitting down on my desk. I thought that, the first time the two of us were together in my chambers, we would be making love for the first time, instead, we were sobbing, we were connected, but there was a noticeable distance between us, and we were uncertain of the future of our relationship. I couldn't believe that it was possible for the relationship to completely fall apart, after all, lovers or not, we were forever linked as sisters, but I don't know how long it could take for us to rebuild the trust and affection we shared at Konstantinovskaya.

"I know," Liz replied. Blue eyes looked into blue, my sister did care, my sister did love me, and she did want to rebuild our relationship. I took a deep breath and wiped away the tears, there was hope. It would take time and it would take effort, but there was hope that we would, one day, maybe one day soon, maybe one day in the distant future, be able to return to the happy, loving relationship we had not too long ago. The fact that there was enough to make me happy again, before this, my goal had been to plot for a war against The Ottoman Empire and then to actually defeat them, now, I had a new goal to work towards - repairing my romantic life. I would finally get to tap into all those feelings and all that love I had been suppressing while on military campaigns, now, all there was to do was to show Liz how sincerely sorry I was and how much I still loved her, how much I regretted my stupid mistake.

* * *

"Well Persians, along with occasional Turks, Arabs, Uzbeks, Kurds, and other Islamic peoples, would arrive at the Konkan ports and join the established nobility. These local nobles tended to be mixed between Indians and Persians, though some areas were under the control of Hindus as well." Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani explained how the old Bahmanid Sultanate worked as we walked around the perimeter of White Square, enjoying the Russian summer sun. Moscow was never going to be quite as the scorching deserts of Persia or the Deccan plateau, however, the northerly, continental climate of Moscow meant that the weather ranged quite dramatically. The winters were bitterly cold, snowy, and icy, whilst the summers were warm, humid, and beautiful. The trees and the grasses were practically overwhelmingly green, shining gloriously in the sun. Our flag was gold and black, but our troops wore green and red, I think these forests is one of the reasons why we wear green uniforms. Russia is practically synonymous with taiga forests and, much like these ancient trees, our troops were uncompromising, standing tall and proud even against the most difficult conditions. The soldiers, much like the great forests of Russia, were clad in a brilliant green.

"Right, and you appeal to both of these classes, being both Persian and Kannada." I added on, remembering what Yasamin told me about her family, her father being a Bahmanid heir with nostalgic ambitions and her mother being a Kannada convert to Islam, their marriage, in some ways, being a result of this nostalgic fascination with the time their family ruled over southern India. My own understanding of Indian history is that, when The Bahmanid Sultanate lost control of the Konkan ports, their decline was rapid and violent. The Sultanate was cut off from its influx of new Persians by the expansion of Vijayanagar and The Sultanate of Gujarat, the latter of which has since been conquered and absorbed by The Mughal Empire. The fractured states were smaller, weaker, and centered on major cities, such as Bidar, the last capital of The Bahmanid Sultanate, and major cities such as Bijapur, Golconda - modern day Hyderabad - Ahmednagar, and Berar. Some of these fractured states have already been absorbed into the larger two empires, others have merely lost territory, but regardless, these Deccan Sultanates will eventually be erased if Yasamin does not intervene. Unfortunately for those Sultanates, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani does not intend to save them, she merely intends to annex them, bringing them into her Shia Persian state before expanding much further against the City of Victory and The Mughals.

"Indeed, that is how I intend to appeal to both classes of Muslims in my eventual Sultanate. My Kannada links, as well as my need for a strong bureaucracy, will hopefully appeal to the local Hindus. Kannada, Telugu, and Marathi all alike." Yasamin explained, once again make it clear that she has thought through her plans. The Kannada and Telugu are both Dravidian people, from the western and eastern Deccan respectively, meanwhile, the Marathi people are a northern Indian people known for their history as warriors. This makes the Deccan quite a diverse area, especially given all the mixing and foreign groups involved - the mixed Indo-Persian places with their Hindustani languages, Arabic traders operating at the Konkan ports, and Portuguese conquerors in Goa, a port they took before either The Mughals or Vijayanagar could take it. Russia is a diverse country, however, Russia is overwhelming Russian, that allows me to use the Russian people to dominate over the other minorities, such as Tatars, Kalmyks, and now, due to my expansion, now Ruthenians and Byelorussians - close enough to Russians - Goths, Georgians, Armenians, Azeris, and additional Circassians. Yasamin's Sultanate is different than that, for example, and I'm oversimplifying, she could have one third of the Indian population be Kannada, one third be Marathi, and one third by Telugu, thus, rather than letting one culture dominate the others, her absolute authority will come in the form of turning those groups against one another, keeping the local Hindu population from unifying against her rule. That does not necessarily mean creating conflict between them, not immediately anyway, merely accentuating the differences, keeping them three, small, disunited cultures, rather than one group of different cultures that came together to oppose this invasion of outsiders. It is an interesting proposition to think of how it would be like if I ruled over a more heterogeneous state - again, Russians are numerous enough to subjugate all other cultures within The Tsardom of Russia - like Yasamin will, or even like Lady Krystyna will, given that her expansion into The Kingdom of Hungary alone will leave her ruling over Hungarians, Croatians, Serbians, Romanians, Slovaks, and Germans.

Lady Krystyna's conquests will put her in control of a very diverse, very differing set of cultures. The Kingdom of Bohemia contains Czechs, Silesian Poles, Germans, Jews, in addition to minuscule populations of other minorities, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth contains Poles, Lithuanians, Germans, Jews, now Romanians in Moldavia, Byelorussians along the border with Russia, Ruthenians in Galicia, and even more diverse minorities such as Tatars and Swedes, then Hungary has those aforementioned groups, along with Italians and Dalmatians in Croatia if Krystyna expands further into The Kingdom of Croatia, long held in personal union with Hungary, and, finally, should Krystyna push into Naples in southern Italy, she'll find herself reigning over Italians, Spaniards, Albanians, and Greeks. This presents a very different set of challenges than ruling over Russia, challenges which shall keep her very far away. I knew that it wasn't Krystyna's fault that she created this gap between Liz and I, but I still wanted to avoid her, I wanted to avoid any opportunity for making that same mistake again. It was my fault that I wanted to have sex with powerful woman whenever I wanted, it's my fault that my selfish desires led to me cheating with my little sister, but Krystyna being far away meant that my selfish desires could be kept away. I sighed, Krystyna was wonderful, but the reason why I started a relationship with her and fell in love with her is to quell my feelings for Yelizaveta, now, my feelings for Krystyna have hurt my relationship with Yelizaveta.

"So...where shall you be making this bureaucracy and skeleton government?" I asked, wondering about how exactly Yasamin intends to bring her state together in Moscow, establishing the basic structure of her state before she even has any land to rule over. This is a smart move, after all, that gives Yasamin the chance to skip the chaotic and unstable stage of forming a new country, the stage where invaders have to choose whether to depend on the local, existing infrastructure or try and impose a new, foreign system on the lands, instead, Yasamin's conquest comes with a fully formed government, practically eliminating the transitional period. Lady Krystyna will not have that particular advantage, she has been able to experience a successful and absolutist monarchy and she has an established reputation in the Catholic world after capitalizing on her victory against The Ottomans. The Second Battle of Varna is not called that because it has anything to do with The First Battle of Varna or because it takes place in Varna itself, the battle is called The Second Battle of Varna because marketing. Lady Krystyna wanted to market this random battle of The Russo-Ottoman War as avenging the Polish and Hungarian defeat at Varna in 1444, something she has succeeded in, winning over the Catholic courts of Europe. Krystyna has both of those, but she does not have Bohemian, Polish, and Hungarian absolute monarchies ready to go - that being said, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Principality of Transylvania are existing states with existing government, however, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's hopelessly inefficient government with its vetoes and Sejm may be more of a hindrance than an asset.

We turned right from the Citadel and walked alongside the Cathedral. The right front was the Maria Davidovna Building, however, directly ahead an open avenue led down to a cleared field. Much of the forests which once filled the area around White Square have been cleared - which I suppose kind of undermines my earlier uncompromising forest metaphor - for construction timber and space. Much of the clearing occurred long before White Square was built, that timber was used in construction of many of the older parts of Moscow, but the rest of it was cleared more recently. White Square was meant to be a beginning for a new Moscow, thus, we cleared much of the area around the square, even if the area isn't used quite yet. I wanted to make sure that land was ready right away for any new constructions I started. I already envisioned a German market - once, centuries ago, The Hanseatic League of German traders established a trade post in Novgorod, this connected Novgorod to the vast trade networks of central Europe, allowing money and trade goods to flow as far away as Copenhagen and London. Some of those trade relationships still exist, after all, The White Sea Company and now The Black Sea Company exist as trade links between London and Moscow, meanwhile, relationships between Russia and The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway have grown stronger lately due to our mutual rivals in The Kingdom of Sweden, including trade relationships - and, to help foster that German community, a Protestant Church.

That Protestant Church would be designed to be beautiful and baroque - perhaps in contrast to the more muted designs that modern Protestant churches in Europe tend to have - in order to fit with the theme of impossible luxury I wish to convey with my new capital, however, it would intentionally be designed to pale in comparison to Saint Sofiya's Cathedral. The bell towers would be shorter than the main tower of Saint Sofiya's Cathedral - fortunately, Russian architecture tends to produce larger than average churches, so that may even develop naturally, allowing me to produce a visibly less impressive church without directly telling my architects to intentionally stifle themselves. In a similar vane, I also wish to build a Catholic church, once again, one which is impressive, more impressive than the churches in European cities, but not as impressive as the actual Russian churches. This church shall cater to Catholic Germans - the Hanseatic cities were concentrated on northern Germany, which is now predominantly Protestant, however, I do not intend to limit this German market to merely merchants from Hamburg and Bremen, I want to appeal to traders from Catholic areas of Germany, such as Bavaria, Wurttemberg, and even Austria - as well as Poles. My relationship with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth means that, for the first time in century, there are positive and stable trade relations between Moscow and Warsaw, meaning that Polish and Lithuanian traders will come to operate in Moscow as well. This shall be a German market, but not a market that is merely German.

"Perhaps that field could serve as a campsite for now, starting with tents and then developing into office spaces and hotels, we'll get a place to work and live while you'll get us to develop the city for you." Yasamin proposed. The Indo-Persian woman knew how to appeal to me now, she would get what she would want while spinning it in a way where it seemed like she was giving me what I wanted. I was conscious of what she was doing, however, given that I was being generous and I wanted to help her, in addition to the fact that I do want to develop that field into a new urban district, I was fine with this somewhat subversive appeal. A Persian district, even if it is only populated with Persians for a short time - perhaps especially because it is only populated with Persians for a short period of time - would appeal to Europeans as well. Once Yasamin and her forces are gone, this district will serve as a slice of the orient to draw in Europeans and even Russians with the hopes of seeing something exotic surrounded by the familiar. I'll give my people all the fascinations with the Middle East with none of the actual realities of living in the Middle East, none of the heat, none of the Islamic dominance disguised as tolerance, and none of actual experiences with living in foreign lands. I could imagine that the architecture of this district would be that typical mix of Russian and Baroque architecture that I have popularized in my White Square along with bits and pieces of Persian and Indo-Islamic architecture. I will give Yasamin her campsite and I will build it into my orientalist district.

"Very well, perhaps I'll even build you a Mosque." I proposed. The Sunni Tatars, Crimeans, and Kazakhs of the southern Russian steppe represent an obstacle for the Russian state. My main solution for that particular problem is to try and convert these people, turning them into Russian Orthodox believers and thus, bringing them within an apparatus that supports my absolutism. That may be difficult, after all, Islamic religions are particularly iconoclast - after all, one of their tenants is that there is no God but Allah - and thus, they may prove to be vehemently opposed to the idea of divine right rule. Thus, another potential solution to this problem of a dissenting religion is dilution. Moscow is almost entirely Russian Orthodox and thus, the addition of Sunni Muslims shall not disrupt my rule at all, especially not this close to my palace and the center of my control. Therefore, I can build a Mosque, initially one which is Shia, and it can serve Yasamin's faction, later on, I can convert this to a Sunni Mosque, thus, building a magnet for Russian Muslims, a magnet that will, unknowingly, put those Muslims in a position where they are diluted and they are rendered relatively powerless, a magnet that shall allow me to become an even more successful absolutist monarch. I smirked, Yasamin thinks she may be getting one over me, but she is certainly not, in fact, I am using this situation to further my own ambitions.

"A palace, a citadel, a building for your bureaucrats that rivals the palaces of some European sovereigns, a German market, two churches, and now a Mosque? Just how many other ridiculously impressive buildings do you want to add to your capital?" Yasamin laughed, amused at my never-ending ambition. The list was quite extensive, I do admit, after all, I was basically building up a whole new capital, doubling the size of Moscow, creating a city to match my towering visions. White Square was the core of it all, naturally, consisting of my grand residence, the centerpiece of my military and defense organization, and the complex that serves as the home for my bureaucracy. My next priorities are to turn Moscow into a magnet for the great minds of foreign countries, hence, the German market and the exotic, orientalist district I envision, based on Yasamin's campsite. Of course, there was one glaring hole left in my Moscow, because, while I could draw in foreign intellectuals, artists, and government officials, I didn't have a method for producing my own Russian minds.

"There is one thing that Russia is critically missing though, and that is a university. I intend to add that to my state next." I answered. Universities were still somewhat of a rarity east of the German lands of The Holy Roman Empire, there was Charles University in Prague, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, The University of Konigsberg, and Vilnius University, but none of those were in Russia. One was in Austrian controlled Bohemia within The Holy Roman Empire, the other three were within The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Krakow and Vilnius in the Commonwealth proper, Konigsberg within The Duchy of Prussia, consisting of East Prussia and, thanks to Jan the Prussian, the vassal state was now ruled in personal union with The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. That particular detail is something that I'm sure will cause tension when Lady Krystyna is elected to rule The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Ducal Prussia will, no doubt, attempt to regain its autonomy, something which Lady Krystyna shall not allow easily. In any case, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was, until recently, one of our biggest rivals, and they had two universities with a third in a vassal state while we had none, that seems like an utter embarrassment for The Tsardom of Russia. This is one of the reasons why I feel like it's so important for me to open up a university in Moscow, bringing honor back to my capital.

Yasamin and I continued to walk around White Square and discuss our respective states, her visions for an Indian Sultanate supported by Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and Uzbek immigrants. The Persians will be told this, unlike the Turkmen dominated Persia, is a state they could dominate, meanwhile, the Turks and the Turkmen would be told that this is yet another opportunity for them to flourish as the strongest and proudest warriors in the Islamic world, the Shia Arabs would be offered a new destination, a destination in need of officials, traders, and generals in India, and the Uzbeks would be offered a safe haven for their culture and way of life, something which will become very desirable as my troops descend upon the remaining hordes of Central Asia, exposing Transoxiana to Russian attacks. I, meanwhile, further discussed my ambitions for Moscow as well as my plans for bringing the other cities of Russia up to a comparable standard, as well as my methods to improve rural life. I envisioned great cities for my Russia, but those great cities would be nothing without rural farms to feed them, therefore, I need to ensure that farmers remain satisfied with their lives in the countryside so they don't move into the cities, thus depriving those cities of their agricultural base which allows them to be so great and so beautiful. Essentially, I have to improve all of Russia to successfully improve any part of it.

* * *

"Nastya!" Sophie shouted as she entered The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace for the first time, running up to me and giving me a hug, my bemused mother following behind at a slower and more restrained pace, though still quite happy to see me. Yelizaveta had gone to Kolomenskoye to take our mother and our third sister to the palace now that their rooms were ready, thus, our family was finally united again after two years of war. Sofiya, now seventeen, has grown into a beautiful woman, rich blonde hair, powerful blue eyes, happiness splayed across her blemishless face, and her figure was perfect despite her admittedly charming slothfulness and her taste for sweets. My mother was looking happier too, not just because she got to see Liz and I once again, but because she finally seems to have recovered from our father's death. Her skin, while still our family's characteristic pale - albeit not quite as pale as my father was and we are - now had its color and richness back, her black hair was silky and almost glossy with how utterly dark it is - I couldn't find a gray strand if I searched for it - something which suggests my blonde hair will age very well indeed. Finally, those same blue eyes were finally clear of sadness, the sadness and the regret now fully exchanged for the love and admiration for her daughters, all three of us. The Tsarina of Russia, her talented heiress, and a beautiful and heterosexual third daughter to ensure that our dynasty and lineage survives for centuries to come. Yelizaveta and I may rule, but Sofiya is the key to Russia's future.

"Sophie!" I hugged my little sister back, enjoying seeing her again. I greeted my mother as well, grateful to have my family back together again, it was the thing which finally made my capital feel almost complete. I say almost because there is one critical element missing, an element made clear by the held, longing gaze that Liz and I shared, hurt and regret evident in both of our eyes. Part of me wanted to scream at her that, saying that I was already infinitely sorry and that I already learned every single lesson I could possibly learn, but I knew that it wasn't that simple. It was about learning lessons but it also wasn't - the fact is, even if I've learned everything there was to learn, I've still hurt and betrayed my little sister and shattered her perception of her idol - it was about pain and recovery, Yelizaveta needed time and I needed to respect that, if I didn't, not only would it show that I really haven't learned anything - Liz is being monogamous for me, thus, I needed to treat her as my equal and be monogamous for her - but it would also potentially cause even more damage to her. Liz and I tore our eyes away from each other and walked with our mother and sister, giving them a tour of the finished parts of the palace.

"This is The Ukrainian Ballroom, named in honor of the conquest of Ruthenia and Zaporizhia in The Kievan Reconquest." I explained, using a name for the war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth coined by a Russian historian who wrote about the war whilst I was off on campaign against The Ottoman Empire. Evidently, Polish historians opted to describe that war more along the lines of The Great Humiliation, though, given that the war would kick off a series of events that would culminate in Lady Krystyna coming to power in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, perhaps I didn't humiliate them, perhaps I gave them the chance to survive and fix their dysfunctional and crumbling country. We walked down the steps into The Ukrainian Ballroom, walking along the checker pattern floor looking up at the Baroque art throughout the room. The windows were surrounded by brilliant purple curtains surrounded by beautifully crafted art. Along the ground, between the windows, there were statues of notable and virtuous Russians, above that, there were paintings of saints and angles, next, on a ring around the ceiling, there was a list of all the Russian rulers of Kiev, written out in Cyrillic, culminating in myself and Yelizaveta. The ceiling contained a view looking down on the world - implied to be God's view - showing Russia, in glorious gold with the black, double-headed eagle in the center, stretching from the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic to the Pacific, the chilly, arctic waters of Arkhangelsk in the north down to the Transoxiana, the Central Asia destiny of Russia. This mural was very intentional, it was designed to teach my successors exactly where I intended for them to wage war and expand, taming the steppe, reaching the Pacific, and becoming both a world empire and a European great power. The mural of The Ukrainian Ballroom was my divine vision of Russia and, by divine right, God's vision.

The term Kievan Reconquest also had another purpose, it was a reminder of our Russian history. I had fought and fought hard to be recognized as the true heiress of Rome and Moscow as the Third Rome, but, while we were Romans, we were also Russians. The term Kievan Reconquest reestablishes our continuity with the Kievan Rus, which we viewed as the first Russia, and reconquest clarifies that our war for the Ukraine is a war for reclaiming Russian history, Russian history which was seized by the pagan Grand Dukes of Lithuania following the chaos of The Mongol Invasions. Those pagan Grand Dukes then became Catholic and intermarried with Polish royalty, creating a personal union and setting the basis for the unified state which is The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, setting the basis for a long rivalry and countless wars, a rivalry and tradition of warfare I put an end to. To commemorate this age-old link with the Kievan Rus, the black and white checker pattern here was crucially different than the tiles in the main hall in one very particular way. The black tiles contained the white outlines of tridents and the white tiles contained black tiles. This trident was an old symbol of the Kievan Rus and a symbol of The House Rurikovich in general. This dynastic and Ukrainian link is immortalized in my palace, immortalizing a critical piece of Russian history that I reclaimed in 1622.

"It would be nice to have a dance in here soon, perhaps a wedding dance." My mother not-so-subtly changed the conversation to matters she was concerned with. She was proud of Yelizaveta and I for our rule and our conquests, but she was also concerned with the continuation of our dynasty. I suppose I could hardly blame her, it was hard of her to not think of her lack of grandchildren while looking down at a floor of our dynastic Coat of Arms or up at a list of rulers of Kiev, a list which ends at Anastasia I and Yelizaveta I. Now, that's already reaching into the future as Liz isn't a Tsarina yet, but the fact is, our dynastic future is not set in stone despite the fact she has three sexually mature adult daughters. Given that this is the first time in years the three of us have been in the same place at the same time, it was only natural for our mother to poke and prod about marriages and continuing the line. To be fair, I was concerned about this as well, though it's not like it would be a problem, Sofiya is hardly going to have a difficult time attracting male suitors and, given that Russia is exploding onto the European scene, the suitors will no doubt come from the most powerful and significant dynasties in Europe, the kind of dynasties worthy of marrying into The House Rurikovich and joining the likes of The House Komnenos, The House Palaiologos, and the ancient Georgian House Bagrationi, which has reigned over Georgia in some form since before Rurik even conquered Russia. The three of us have a prestigious background and Sophie's husband will have a lot to live up to.

"Well, if you're ready for it Sophie, it is about time for you to have a Debutante ball." I offered Sophie. I saw Sofiya blush as she realized the implications and I couldn't help but notice how much she was grown into our sister, beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed, and pale. She was excellent, every much Yelizaveta's equal physically, but she was nowhere near as attractive to me as Liz was. I was in love with Liz, absolutely in love with her, but my feelings for Sofiya were purely sisterly. I wasn't sure why that was, though I did acknowledge I spent far, far more time with Yelizaveta, but even then, for many of the memories I have with Liz, either Sofiya was there or I had a similar moment with Sofiya. When I was three years old, my mother took me in her lap and let me hold a newborn Liz, but just a year later, I remember my father holding Liz and smiling at us as my mother sat me on her lap again and let me hold Sofiya. I was older during the second memory and my whole family was involved, even my late father who has made ever accomplishment of my reign possible, but the first memory seems so much stronger. I don't know why or how, but I think there is a connection between Liz and I, a connection that dates back to way before either of us knew about our compatible sexualities. Our relationship had everything going for it, and I still managed to screw it all up with my pathetic and selfish behavior.

"I would like that." Sofiya admitted, a smile on her face and desire evident in her eyes as she no doubt began imagining all the handsome Princes and charming Dukes that would come to court her. A desire not at all dissimilar to the one I've often seen in Yelizaveta's eyes, a desire which was directed at me, a desire which I was sincerely missing. I shook off that regret and that hurt and looked on the bright side, Yelizaveta was still right here, she needed time, but there was hope, things could and would get better, in the meantime, The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace would soon host a Debutante ball and, with any luck, a wedding would soon follow. A marriage with a powerful European family could lay the foundations for a significant alliance, an alliance which could extend how far and how wide I could deploy the Russian military, as well as giving me an ally so as to outmaneuver my enemies. Not to mention the fact that an alliance could be yet another way to spread Russian influence and culture. This marriage would not only secure the long term future of my dynasty, but it could also present short term benefits, especially as I move against my next rival, The Kingdom of Sweden.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been the first chapter of the final act! I hope you've enjoyed seeing a victorious Russia and an increasingly ambitious Anastasia juxtaposed with the fragile state of Liz and Nastya's relationship. This chapter contained a lot of setting up, next chapter, we'll start actually going through some of the things I've established in this chapter, as well as kicking off the Russian portion of the larger plot of act three.

In other news, I finished the ten chapter act one of my Star Wars story Secrets of The Outer Rim, and, since I adopted a bit of a seasonal approach now, that story is now on hiatus, next week, I'll be posting the first chapter of a DC superheroes story, so check that out if you're interested! Well, that shameless plug is all I have for this week, so, if you're reading this when it posts, happy Easter if you're a western Christian, otherwise, happy insert-day-here. Ciao!


	32. The Muscovite Court

Hello everyone! Here we have another Russia chapter! I hope you enjoy, writing is one of the few things keeping me sane during all this quarantine nonsense and I've been writing a lot lately, as well as reading. In any case, here's chapter thirty-two.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXII.

The Muscovite Court.

* * *

"Tsaritsyn, Sevastopol, Rostov-on-Don, and Astrakhan are the largest cities of southern Russia at the moment. Yekaterinburg is the largest city in our easternmost lands, though there are also impressive new settlements developing, one to the south called Chelyabinsk, and an old Horde town southwest of there called Ufa is growing as well." I explained to Yelizaveta as we looked over a freshly drawn map of Russia's new borders. I pointed out major settlements along the southern steppe, as well as those propping up along and beyond the Ural Mountains. The map also showed a collection of border fortresses arising, both to hold back the Hordes in Central Asia and southern Siberia, and to exert our authority further into Siberia. The southern steppe stretching into Asia also contained some of the routes of Cossack horsemen, these barely tamed units, in search of freedom from the increasingly powerful Russian crown, unknowingly expanded my borders and my control. The Cossacks may wish to imagine that their way of life has a future, the may like to think that they will have free reign over the wild plains of Europe, but the truth is, they won't, they belong to me. The Cossacks exist so long as they are useful, and, even in their usefulness, I would prefer to cultivate and settle the steppes rather than allow them to continue possessing it.

"Well, for now, I think our goal should be expanding westward. We've conquered a lot of new land in the south and, for now, I feel the best course of action in southern Russia is to build up roads and towns leading from towns like Tsaritsyn and Astrakhan to Tiflis, Yerevan, and Baku." Yelizaveta replied, my sister, while possessing a certain disinterested dryness in her voice, was brilliant despite her boredom. Liz may not like such issues nearly as much as I do, but she has grown to understand them, and I couldn't be prouder of her because of it. There is nobody I would rather want as my heir than Yelizaveta. As for my relationship with her, we have returned to a cordial level. Liz is getting involved in my political life again, she is talking to me more, and she is even allowing a greater amount of physical contact, but just because things are better does not mean that all our problems are solved. My little sister will see to her duties as my Tsarevna and she will serve the Russian state, but the kisses we once shared, the loving touches, the ponderous gazes, those were uncomfortably distant, even the admiration in Liz's eyes was tainted, it was still there, but there was a hurt in those blue eyes, a hurt that I wanted to remove this instant. Yelizaveta's eyes are far too beautiful to be wasted on tears.

"Yes, in fact, I wanted to approach you with some ideas I had for strategically significant towns." I revealed to Yelizaveta, grabbing a set of pins in my hand and preparing to put them to the map, I started with a town I wanted just to the north of the Georgian border, a town I imagined hosting a road between Tiflis in The Kingdom of Georgia and Rostov-on-Don in The Tsardom of Russia, serving as a junction for my control of the Caucasus "Vladikavkaz, a vital base to serve The Army of the Caucasus, safeguarding our Georgian allies and our own holdings in the northern Caucasus in the event of another Ottoman offensive like the one Sultana Helena managed, at least until we can properly annex and integrate The Kingdom of Georgia."

"Ruler of the Caucasus." Yelizaveta smirked, enjoying the name I gave to new town. I added the title Tsarina of the Caucasus to my increasingly growing list of titles, in honor of my new territories in eastern Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the growing importance of the northern Caucasus region, largely as a result of that expansion further south, deeper into lands which have never before been within the Russian sphere of control. I was doing wonderful things to The Tsardom of Russia, I was broadening our horizons more than anyone had ever thought possible. The cessation of Crimea and Caucasus, along with the loss of Moldavia to Poland and the loss of suzerainty over Transylvania represents the largest land lost in Ottoman history. Turks have reigned supreme over this area of the world for centuries, ever since the Seljuks swept through Persia and into Anatolia over five-hundred years ago, but now, now it was Russian flags flying over those territories. Yes, the town would bare the name Vladikavkaz, after all, I now reign unopposed over the Caucasus, the only part of the region not under Russian control is Georgia, which belongs to my uncle and I will make sure that it becomes a part of Russia sooner rather than later.

"Indeed, however, to truly reign over the Caucasus, two other locations are necessary. First, to the east of Vladikavkaz, we have Groznaya, a city located in a location where troops from Rostov-on-Don, Tsaritsyn, and Astrakhan, a feature which should prove useful, especially if we find ourselves in a prolonged war against either The Ottomans or the Persians." I explained. Groznaya, while more distant from the mountains themselves than Vladikavkaz, was, in some ways, more important for exerting control to the south, after all, supply a confluence of supply lines will indeed serve us well. With the purpose of this city being to exert control, I can think of no better name than Groznaya, the feminine form of a word meaning fearsome, once again a title which I wanted applied to myself "Secondly, beyond the Caucasus itself, the city of Ganja west of Baku will be fortified and turned into another military stronghold, a source of Russian control between Baku and Yerevan. Due to all this changes and, due to the fact that Ganja will now be a part of my Russia, I have opted to rename the town Yelizavetpol."

"I'm flattered." Liz closed her eyes and thanked me, she understood that it was no coincidence I was renaming such a strategically significant city after her, and, I felt that a part of her wanted to forgive me because of that - in fact, I think a part of her was looking for any excuse to forgive me - but Liz was too smart to allow that to happen. She said she was flattered because she was, but she was not going to let it be any more than that, she did not grow so much as a person over these last few years only to become submissive and controlled by her own sister. Yelizaveta loved me, adored me, but she was not going to be stepped over, her love and admiration would not let her sacrifice her pride or her dignity. I couldn't exactly say that I was happy that Liz was resisting an opportunity to rebuild our relationship, but I could appreciate her strength and her stubbornness. My beautiful little sister is standing up for herself, showing exactly the kind of skills that will make her a wonderful Tsarina and not allowing love to overpower her self-respect. I couldn't allow my love for Lady Krystyna to give The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth more freedom and independence, and now, Yelizaveta is demonstrating that her love for me will not allow her to compromise her punishment. Yelizaveta is my heiress, she has the same divine right to rule as I do, and a divine monarch cannot, shall not, be the victim of infidelity. I was proud of my sister, even if it meant I would still be lonely.

I sighed and pressed in the next pin, now moving north to the steppe.

"The steppes north of the Caucasus have been untamed for far too long. We were children when the Kalmyks immigrated halfway across the old world and settled on the steppe. They are foreign and, in their short time here, they have raided Russians, Kazakhs, and Baskhirs alike. I am willing to overlook their foreignness and their oriental beliefs, but they will be settled and civilized. I am going to set up a fortifications and a city called Elista, if the Kalmyks settle, I will protect their rights and allow them certain privileges, if they remain in the yurts, they shall be overcome by progress and Elista shall be filled with Russians." I explained, removing a certain thorn from my side. The Kalmyks are a branch of Oirat Mongols who found themselves on the southern end of European Russia, bringing Buddhism and Mongolic culture back to the steppes for the first time since the Mongol conquests. In truth, I found the whole affair rather fascinating, an improbable development, but one which has happened and will surely effect Russia for centuries to come. My bargain seems harsh, but I have no intention of wiping them out, such an act would require more resources than its worth. In truth, I want to kill two birds with one stone - I want to settle the steppe and I want the Kalmyks to cease their raids, so what better way to do that than to coerce the Kalmyks into establishing this city for me? It was, admittedly, a rather immoral scheme, but as far as I'm concerned, they're the ones who have wandered into Russia, even if we, at the time, didn't necessarily have the capability of enforcing our claims to the steppe.

That, fundamentally, is the driving force for all this settlements. The point of Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Ufa was to project our authority eastward, with Yekaterinburg serving as our gateway into Siberia. The point of Vladikavkaz, Groznaya, and Yelizavetpol was to project our authority further south, to the Caucasus and beyond. The existing cities there, Yerevan and Baku chief among them, will help us exert our authority, as will our allies and soon-to-be subjects in Georgia. Elista is part of my plan for exerting authority over the steppe. More people in southern Russia means more potential conscripts, more potential conscripts means more soldiers to man fortifications and more soldiers to join armies, armies that can defend our existing territories and quest out to fight for new ones, pushing Russia's boundaries and frontiers further. I don't want the steppe to be Russia's southern frontier, I do not want Russia to be that limited. Of course, there was still a big distance between wild frontiers and Moscow, while parts of the steppe were already settled, what will increase my authority in those territories is redundancies. Therefore, between Nizhny Novgorod and Astrakhan, in the vicinity of Saratov, I put one last pin.

"Aleksandrov Gay, a redundancy in our settlements, after all, what marks a civilization better than redundancies?" I joked, but Yelizaveta was laughing before I even got to my mockery. I smirked, my smart little sister realized the hidden joke I left there. A name which is entirely innocent in Russian, a regal name even, bearing the masculine, default variant of our patronymic surname. The default variant of our surname however, when paired with Gay, a word which means something completely different in the English language, the name suddenly isn't that innocent anymore.

"Isn't that just a little on the nose?" Yelizaveta asked, a smile smiling gracing her lips. I couldn't help but smile back, after all this time, there was a smile back on my little sister's face, we were having fun, and, all the while, we were working together well, functioning as the unstoppable political team I've always wanted us to be. It seemed like things were back to how they were, our romantic relationship wasn't back, not yet, but besides that, things felt better. I could settle for this for now, I could be happy with way. So long as Liz was back in my life, smiling again, laughing again, I could wait to kiss her again, I could wait to feel her in my arms, I could wait to do a thousand forbidden things to her. I took a deep breath and cleared my head before my body could decide it didn't want to wait after all, returning to the simple levity our conversation had devolved into. A part of my absolutist brain was complaining that we were supposed to be discussing my plans for southern Russia, but I knew we already handled what was essential. It was time for us to be sisters now.

"Maybe, but I don't regret the name, though Lady Katherine did seem rather taken aback when I ran the name by her." I smirked, mentioned Yveson's daughter, the woman who was now running the Muscovite side of the company and floating around my court. The redhead was having fun and adjusting to our court rather well, in fact, I caught a glimpse of her yesterday, getting dragged across the Palace by Sofiya. I was glad to see the Palace starting to fill up and come to live, the halls could be rather intimidating and lonely while empty. I do suppose that was somewhat intended, after all, I did make a palace that was larger than life, even if being larger than life meant that the place could leave us feeling rather smaller. The redhead was a fast learner as well, she figured out my sexuality and accepted it before anyone even got around to telling her, smart woman. William had little use for her, after all, she was an Englishwoman who didn't want to get married and, despite working with me, he didn't seem like he wanted to give a woman, even his own daughter, any real power in England. Oh well, I suppose I was grateful, he pawned her off on me while he returned to England to collect the profits of the Black Sea Company, meaning that I was free to utilize her however I wanted. The little opportunist got to step out from his father's shadow, becoming richer than his older siblings who could actually expect to inherit anything, and now I had yet another capable woman to add to my court. A court which would soon grow more when Terezia's replacement candidates arrived.

Yelizaveta and I laughed together, enjoying each other's company. She put her hand out on the table, seemingly unknowingly, and went to look over the map again. I reached out and put my right hand over her left, feeling her soft skin against mine. Liz's eyes darted up, no longer interested in the map. I saw her tense up for a moment, facing the wall, as if she was about to argue against this, argue that it was still too soon, but she didn't have it in her. I watched as Liz sighed and melted into my touch, her blue eyes turned towards mine, locking again, a layer of understanding developing just over the pain. It wasn't enough, one little touch wasn't going to magically rebuild our relationship, but this was good, this was progress. Russia was a great power and it was rising even further thanks to my capable leadership, Yelizaveta and I were making progress in our relationship once again, and soon, our little Sophie would meet her suitors. Things were looking quite bright yet again for The Tsardom of Russia and The House Rurikovich once again.

* * *

I was sitting down in my throne, Yelizaveta standing next to me, holding my hand. I ran my thumb along her knuckles, enjoying our slow and sudden return to intimacy and affection. Lady Katherine, while not one of Terezia's candidates, seemed to have inserted herself into this process, standing along with a group of various women from various states, though I was hardly complaining, after all, I planned on giving her greater power in Russia anyway. I scanned the group over from left to right, matching up faces to a list of names and credentials that Terezia provided me with before departing. The first woman, an Orthodox Serbian woman, evidently the daughter of a Serbian cavalryman who fled to The Principality of Transylvania to escape The Ottoman Empire, presumably, this is how Terezia knows her. The next woman, an Austrian brunette, evidently tried to join the armies of The Holy Roman Empire as a strategist, was refused, and then, had to flee Austria after brazenly offering her services to the Elector Palatine of the Rhine. The third woman was another German, the young wife of the Lutheran Burgermeister of Lubeck, who had basically been running the Hanseatic city rather than her husband, only to get divorced and cast out after being caught in an affair with a local noblewoman. I smirked, the first three women were amusing, one woman that Terezia likely knew personally and two that Terezia likely heard of due to their reputations.

The fourth woman was named Malgorzata Mazura Grzeskiewicz who, in addition to being cursed with a particularly dreadful name, was the sister of a Polish diplomat who spent some time in Portugal, where Terezia met her and befriended her. The fifth woman, yet another German, though this time a Baltic German, was quietly holding a discussion with Lady Katherine, as this woman evidently spoke English. I was already rather interested in this blonde woman, after all, she could speak German, English, and Russian, such a multilingual talent could help her take on many of Terezia's duties. Her name was Natalia Herzog von Kokenhusen, the daughter of a former Knight turned Lutheran noble who married a Hessen heiress, the woman has made a name for herself and made herself somewhat of an enemy of Sweden by calling for the Lutherans in the Baltic to turn away from Swedish aid and create their own Protestant state, dominated by Germans nobles, rather than Swedes...or the actual Latvian and Estonian people who were native to the region. The sixth and final woman was the late addition, Lady Katherine. I smiled a the group, prepared for an impressive set of interviews, I was already looking at their accomplishments and putting women to roles. I may just end up hiring all of these women for one purpose or another, many for things which have nothing to do with Terezia's duties.

"Let's begin." I declared and the Serbian woman stepped up first, bowing before me ever so slightly. The brunette bowed enough to show respect, but not so much as to be sycophantic. Her complexion was rather expected for a Balkan woman - dark brown hair, brown eyes, skin a few shades darker than mine but still light enough to be considered pale - but that didn't change the fact that she was attractive. All of the women were attractive - it seems I was right about Terezia having an ulterior motive, trying to help Yelizaveta fill the gap Terezia left behind, but she wouldn't have to worry about that, I would be filling that gap myself - and they were brilliant, they were welcome additions to my court of perfection. The Serbian woman was dressed in a blue, gold, and red dress with black and white trim, the colors of The Principality of Transylvania. Terezia evidently knew her personally and considered her a close friend, so I was eager to hear out what she could offer to The Tsardom of Russia. I already knew their names and had their credentials, but I wanted to hear what they had to offer and what each of them felt they wanted to share with me "Alright, introduce yourself and tell me what you can do."

"Thank you, my Tsarina. My name is Knezevic Marijana, if you ever noticed Terezia writing a personal letter to Transylvania, it was almost certainly going to me. She told me everything she was allowed to tell me about her service to Portugal and to you, she even trusted me with the information that she was defecting from Portugal to join your court. I know what she taught me, I can speak Russian, Hungarian, Serbian, Turkish, Croatian, and Polish, and I applied to an administrative position under Prince Matyas, though he declined." Marijana told me everything. Prince Matyas refusing her seems off, I would have thought that my Transylvanian ally would have recognized the value of hiring women after cooperating with Lady Krystyna and I, though it seems he let an excellent opportunity slip through his fingers. Marijana is quite multilingual, though admittedly, four of those languages are Slavic, with Serbian and Croatian being particularly similar, meanwhile, Russian and Polish are both languages of major powers in this part of Europe. Finally, she likely knows Turkish as a result of trying to make something of her life in The Ottoman Empire, though then she learned Hungarian when her father, a Serb Hussar by the name of Dragomir Knezevic, decided enough was enough with the Turks and went to Transylvania in an attempt to resist them. Prince Matyas was disloyal for a long time before joining our alliance, but he had no way of realistically defeating The Ottomans, not until we joined him as allies. In any case, in Transylvania, where Marijana reordered her name according to Magyar customs, she learned what Terezia knew. She wasn't going to be as good as Terezia was, but she would still be useful to me.

"Very good Marijana, I will decide a place for you once all the interviews are complete. In the meantime, who's next?" I asked, shooting the Serb a warn smile and explaining myself, I wasn't sure how I was going to divide up Terezia's duties until I heard from everyone - after all, all these women were impressive in their own ways - but that didn't mean she didn't leave a good impression. The Austrian woman stepped up next, I was eager to hear from her, after all, from what I know of her story, it was certainly bold and adventurous. The Archduchy of Austria, ruled by The Holy Roman Empire, didn't want her services, so she went to their Protestant enemies. That showed spirit, she was a woman who wanted to be a strategist and she was not going to take no for an answer. Perhaps, rather than having her take on some of Terezia's old duties, I could send her across White Square to the citadel. In any case, before I made a decision, I wanted to hear what she wanted to say and what job she felt was best for her. The first of the Germans.

"Hello my Tsarina, I'm Isabella Theresa von Neunkirchen and I've been looking for a country willing to let me serve them. As you know, my first attempt was in my native Austria. I hoped that, with The Holy Roman Empire fully at war and our forces spread across Germany and Bohemia, I thought they would want all the strategists they could take. I didn't think I would be involved on the Bohemian front or against the Swedes, but I thought I might at least be allowed to prove myself in some of our holdings in Swabia or Further Austria, but I wasn't allowed. I wasn't happy about this, so I decided if they weren't going to give me a chance, perhaps their enemies would. I reached out to The Palatinate, though they didn't take my offer seriously. Unfortunately, the Austrians did, and I had to flee before they would try to arrest me for treason against the Empire. I reached out to some high-ranking women, hoping they would understand what I was trying to do and offer me a chance. Of all of those, Terezia was the most receptive." Isabella Theresa explained, filling in the details of her story and explaining how she met Terezia. I put the timeline of events together in my head, recognizing that I was likely on campaign against The Ottomans when all this happened. Isabella Theresa was useful then, she spoke German, but then again, most of these women did, and she was pretty clear that she wanted to be a strategist. I would give her a chance to prove herself, after all, I did say I wanted to give some new, younger generals, strategists, commanders, and officers a chance in proving themselves against the hordes of Central Asia and Siberia. I didn't want to depend on Perevernykruchenko, Mikhailovich, and Feodorov forever.

"Excellent Isabella Theresa, I think your days of searching for a place that will accept your talents is coming to a close. Next please." I smiled again. The Austrian woman took her place back in line, replaced with her northern German, Lutheran counterpart. She was the man behind the latest Burgermeister of Lubeck and, while the Hanseatic League isn't what it once was, those connections to the old Baltic trade routes and German merchants are crucial to my plans. I did intend to build a German Market near my White Square, a woman with experience running a city, even if only from behind her husband's back, and those connections in Germany, could be instrumental in making that market. The Hanseatic City was a major force in Europe up until a time two centuries ago, the powerful German traders were able to fight against the must larger but sparsely populated Kingdoms of Scandinavia. The Hansa's influence stretched from London to Novgorod, including powerful cities like Bremen, Hamburg, and the aforementioned Lubeck, as well as trade posts in places like Visby on Gotland, Riga in Livonia, and along the coasts of Scandinavia. The pale, blue-eyed, raven-haired woman that stepped up had a lot to offer my Russia.

"My liege, I am Ursula Maria-Leopoldine von Hohenzollern-Haigerloch, granddaughter of a Swabian Prince and former wife of the Burgermeister of Lubeck. My family wanted me married off and I tried my best to scare off any suitors, but eventually, they managed to ship me all the way across Germany with a man I didn't love, a bourgeoisie no less, but I decided to make the most of it. I ran the city for my fool of a husband, even managing to negotiate the Swedes into leaving our city alone, convincing them to attack Wismar instead, even offering to send troops there to help with the Siege. I spared my city, eliminated a potential rival within the Hanseatic League, and, in the aftermath, I was able to secure Wismar's trade interests. Lubeck prospered under me, we were the only Hanseatic city whose ships were always spared by the Swedes crossing the Baltic Sea. My husband, unsatisfied with a purely political marriage, divorced me upon learning that I had certain...proclivities for women. I was cast out of Lubeck and, unsurprisingly, soon after, relations broke down between the Hanseatic city and Sweden. I came closer to resurrecting Lubeck's influence than anyone else, now, I ask for the chance to serve you. I have economic and diplomatic ties to The Holy Roman Empire, I controlled a city, and I'm a good enough negotiator to have spared that city from a Swedish ransacking." Ursula told her story, presenting herself as a uniquely capable and special woman. Marijana and Isabella Theresa were denied the chance to earn experience because they were women, but Ursula had experience despite her gender, running a city where only Lutheran, land-owning men could hold office from the shadows, only to see all that crashing down because her sexuality was discovered. I smirked, she could definitely help me establish my German Market and forge trade ties with western Europe, I believe I'll create some sort of new title for her, Minister of Trade perhaps.

"Your proclivities do not impact your capability of serving The Tsardom of Russia. Thank you Ursula, I already have something in mind for you, but in the meantime, Malgorzata, you may speak." I assured Ursula, who had been rather nervous and euphemistic to referring to the incident which led to her divorce. I was not about to reveal my sexuality publicly, that would not suit me politically, but I was more than capable of hiring lesbians and homosexuals to serve in my court. If anyone was to question me, I'll simply repeat what I told Ursula, as far as I'm concerned, whoever you sleep with has no impact as to whether or not you'll be useful to me. Now, all of these women were lesbians, or at least attracted to women, though they may not be aware of each other's sexuality, I scanned all of them after I said that, smirking as I saw a mixture of pleasant surprise, happiness, and purposefully downplayed reactions. Tolerant rulers were hardly common in 17th century Europe and I, more or less, admitted my tolerance for homosexuality. Now, I'm sure if any of them get a little too blatant with their sexuality, then the Church will being raising questions, but that will hardly be a problem, I control The Russian Orthodox Church after all, they are loyal enough to forgive a small act like tolerating a lesbian or two in my court, so long as they do not realize my sexuality or Yelizaveta's, their objections will be insignificant and manageable. Of course, I do need to keep a watchful eye on them, after all, tolerating homosexuals in my court may seem more suspicious when paired with the omission of laws against homosexuals in my new, standardized and simplified law code for all of Russia. In any case, that is a matter for a different time under different circumstances.

"Thank you, Tsarina Anastasia," Malgorzata said with a smile and a slight bow, she was an attractive woman, petite, wavy light brown hair, pale-skinned with a perpetual blush on her cheeks, leading me to wonder, how did such an attractive woman get such a hideous name? I had to hope that her name had a pleasant diminutive, otherwise, I may have to ask her to convert to Russian Orthodoxy just so we can give her a good and Russian name to replace that Polish monstrosity...though thinking of Poland and of her relation to a diplomat led to me thinking of Lady Krystyna and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, suddenly giving me an idea "I traveled alongside my brother on many of his diplomatic missions, I've been to Vienna, Lisbon, Copenhagen twice, and even Paris. My brother even started trusting me with delicate matters on my own, having me negotiate with one Saxon Prince while he was meeting with another. We were a brilliant team, but Terezia was even better. She was more interested in talking to me than my brother while we were in Lisbon and she left me with advice and a few critical lessons. Zygmunt August was about to assign me as a diplomat in my own right when the war was declared. After it, Johann von Konigsberg dismissed many government officials, preferring to stock them with Prussians and nobles with ties to Germany. Terezia came to me with this proposal and I knew this was my best chance to regain some sort of government position."

"Well, Lady Grzeskiewicz, you wanted to be a diplomat, you obviously know Poland well, and I happen to enjoy slighting King Jan, how would you like to be my Ambassador to Poland?" I asked, trying to avoid that truly dreadful personal name with her marginally less dreadful surname. I made sure to make her an ambassador rather than a diplomat, stressing that this will be a long term assignment to The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and that she'll have many diplomats working under her. The reason for so much attention on Warsaw is because this is not only a diplomatic mission, it is also a spy ring. If she accepts, I will talk more to the woman later, explaining to her that my true intention is for her and her network of diplomats to keep an eye on Lady Krystyna. I consider Malgorzata a good candidate for this because the name Mazura comes from the area of Prussia directly north of Mazovia, the region where Lady Krystyna is from, meaning there is a high enough chance these two know each other - especially if Terezia knows Malgorzata - meaning that Krystyna is more likely to trust her than a Russian diplomat or a random Pole I brought to my side. My former lover is hardly a foolish woman, so if I'm going to spy on her, I need to be just as smart about it, using a trustworthy candidate with a valid reason to be in a position where they can successfully spy on her. I believe that Malgorzata is the perfect woman for such a delicate operation.

"I do, thank you, my Tsarina." Malgorzata bowed and wore a legitimate smile on her face as she rejoined the line. She didn't actually have to rejoin the line and wait alongside her fellow candidates, after all, she already had her place in my court, a more important place than she even realizes. She will be working hard to ensure that Russia remains dominate over and knows exactly what is happening in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I didn't mind though, my attention turned to the next blonde. The lone blonde and the last of the Germans, Natalia Herzog von Kokenhusen, the Lutheran Baltic noblewoman who agitated for a strong, secularized Livonian state to replace The Livonian Order before it could be swallowed up by either Sweden, or my new alliance between The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Tsardom of Russia. Her agitation went nowhere and now, The Livonian Order is running out of time, nevertheless, Natalia has already seemingly moved on to something greater, wanting to establish herself in Russia now, rather than waiting until after her home is conquered. Natalia could have gone to Stockholm, Warsaw, or somewhere else entirely, but she chose Moscow and she chose right. Now, time for me to hear what she can offer my Tsardom and why Terezia thought she was a good addition to the court. I already had a good feeling about her and I doubted she would prove me wrong.

"My Tsarina, I have called for the nobles of my country to secularize our state and resist outside influence. We are not a state of Catholic Knights anymore, the need for the Order expired centuries ago, now we need to become a modern state, an independent Duchy or even Kingdom, otherwise, we will just be swallowed up. The nobles didn't listen. I appealed to Denmark-Norway, England, Scotland, and Brandenburg for aid, none of them wanted to get involved in what was already shaping up to be a war between Sweden and your alliance. I tried appealing to the autonomous Bishops and Hanseatic cities within the lands of the Order, but they were either unwilling or unable of resisting either the Knights or external powers. I tried to save my state and now, even I have to admit that it is doomed, however, in trying to save my state, I developed a diverse set of skills, learned a broad range of languages and established links to various powers around the Baltic sphere and beyond, and I learned about the organization of a variety of states, from the Knightly Order to the secular holdings of various Lutheran nobles, to the theocracies of The Archbishopric of Riga and the other Bishoprics in Livonia, as well as Republics in the form of Hanseatic Riga. If Livonia is to fall to Russia, which I believe it will, I would like to play a role in the government that is to rule over my state." Natalia told her story to make her case, an admittedly compelling way to win me over. Her experiences along with determination makes me want to give her the bulk of Terezia's duties.

"Thank you Natalia, I am nearly ready to make a decision, but first, I would like to hear from my friend, Lady Katherine." I smiled at the English redhead who came up next, already a part of my court and now contending for an official position, something her father or grandfather never wanted to give her. William Yveson dumped her here with little purpose other than to try to fix it if anything went wrong on the Muscovite end of The Black Sea Company. Her exposure to this company, however, already had me thinking about making her my Minister of Economics. Ursula was already handling trade, but, thanks to her exposure to two successful English companies conducting business in Russia, I am confidant that Katherine has insights into those companies' economics, insights she could apply to Russia's economy. I think that I will give the bulk of Terezia's duties to Natalia as my new Foreign Minister, while Terezia's internal duties would be taken up by Marijana. Isabella Theresa meanwhile, will get to live out her dream of being a strategist at my citadel while Malgorzata would be my ambassador and spy in Poland. These women were the beginning of a great government and bureaucracy for The Tsardom of Russia, filling up vital functions and revealing what gaps remained, gaps which I would hopefully fill with qualified Russian men. This collection of foreign knowledge in my throne room stressed by desire for a University of Moscow, I wanted all the minds in this room, the six candidates plus Yelizaveta and I, to spread their knowledge to the Russian people.

"Thank you Tsarina Anastasia, hello Yelizaveta," Katherine bowed before the both of us, smiling warmly and greeting the two of us. I considered that an impressive showing on her part, she's been involved in this court and she knew how things worked, she knew that Yelizaveta was not only my heir, but I was also actively grooming her to be the next Tsarina. That meant that Liz deserved a certain amount of respect. Now, I didn't blame the others for not addressing her, after all, they haven't been exposed to my court yet, but I couldn't help but feel swayed by this little action, especially because I already knew Katherine and already had a few ideas as to how I could incorporate her into my court. The Anglican Englishwoman continued on with the rest of her speech "My father and my grandfather have been involved with Anglo-Russian trade deals in both the White Sea and now the Black Sea. They have tried to keep me out of the loop, but I've learned all there is to know about how these companies are managed and how they are successful. If you would, I hope you could offer me the chance that neither of them ever granted me. I would like to serve in your government and help the both of us."

"Very well Katherine," I smiled at her before assigning everyone the roles I had for them, with Katherine indeed becoming my Minister of Economics, I then moved on to the next set of my plan. I've had plenty of ambitious women in my court before, but so far, Lady Krystyna and Terezia have gone, Yasamin will leave one day as well, and, if I'm not careful, these six women will leave my court as well. I needed to give them an incentive to remain in my court "For those of you who are willing, if you convert to Russian Orthodoxy, I will make you Countesses in The Tsardom of Russia. You will be respected women of rank and you will have lands and estates to your name. Now, of course any substantial lands will be controlled by the bureaucracy, this is an absolute monarch after all, but you will have your own property and you will be rich and influential women in The Tsardom of Russia."

* * *

"You look wonderful!" the newly christened Countess Yekaterina Vilgelmovna Igorevna - formerly Lady Katherine Yveson - said as Sofiya emerged in a ball gown. Sofiya was trying on a new gold dress with a large farthingale hoop skirt, little black double-headed eagles dotting the dress. She was the only member of the Russian royal family who was going to get married so I emphasized the new prestige and power of my Russia in her dress, the one she would wear at her debutante ball. Sophie was unveiling the dress to Yekaterina, Countess Maryana Dragomirovna Knyazeva - Marijana, Countess Natalia Knyaginya Kukeinos - formerly Natalia Herzog von Kokenhusen, Countess Maria Maksimilianovna Hagerloh - Ursula Maria-Leopoldine von Hohenzollern-Haigerloch, my mother, Yelizaveta, and I. Malgorzata and Isabella Theresa opted not to convert to Russian Orthodoxy, however, the other four women have converted and been raised to Countesses, their names transformed to their Russian equivalents, or a Russian approximation thereof. Marijana's name was the most straightforward transformation into Russian, while Ursula's was the most difficult...I would have thought Russian would have a name meaning little bear, though it seems we do not, nevertheless, Ursula's middle name, Maria-Leopoldine, gave us Maria, an established Russian name. In any case, my court was starting to fill out quite a bit and, soon enough, I would be adding my little Sophie's husband to that court. I'm sure she'll attract wonderful suitors, I doubted anyone could resist her as she wore that fabulous ball gown.

"Do I?" Sofiya asked, a smiling filling her face as all of us ushered her that she did, indeed, look like perfection personified. I realized that Yelizaveta and I would be dolled up similarly for the ball, even if we weren't going to be the ones getting married, we could not organize a royal courtship without looking like the perfect pair of royal sisters. I knew plenty of other people would be there, Princes and Princesses from Europe, the two Germans, a Serb, and a Englishwoman here sitting with us would be there, Malgorzata and Isabella Theresa would likely be there as well, and all kinds of Russian nobles and military men would be there, but I would only have eyes for one woman there, Yelizaveta. My youngest sister was going to try and find the man of her dreams and all I could think of was Liz, grand and beautiful in the ballroom, no doubt the woman who everyone would want to dance with, myself included. The sheer pain of my mistake finally kicked in, I cheated on Yelizaveta, now, despite our Palace being completed, despite things started to get better, I would have to see everyone in The Ukrainian Ballroom looking at my little sister and I would be able to do nothing to stop it. If I had merely been patient, if I had merely been a woman as strong as I claim to be and was able to say no to the chance of sex with Lady Krystyna, if only I hadn't so utterly failed Yelizaveta, I could be laying in bed with her right now, running my hands across her bare skin as we stared into each other's eyes, seeing nothing but love and devotion. I failed, and now, I would have to wait for so progress until Liz and I could rebuild our relationship, all the while, I had to fear that things would never work quite as well as they had before.

"You do, I'm happy for you Sophie," Yelizaveta got up and hugged Sofiya, wrapping her arms around our sister, tears in her eyes over the beauty of all this, the accomplishment. Perhaps it was just that she was crying over, but perhaps there was more to it, maybe Yelizaveta had the same realization as I did, maybe she wanted to dance with me just as much as I did, maybe she realized that I would be dressed just as grandly, with a crown on my head on top of all that, and she realized that every suitor would ask to dance with me first, not daring to ask Sofiya for courtship without my blessing. Yelizaveta realized that all those Princes and nobles would share a dance with me, their hand holding my hand and their other hand at my waist, touching the very spots that Yelizaveta couldn't touch for no reason other than her self-imposed exile. I had made a mistake, but I was thoroughly taught my lesson already, and Yelizaveta was running out of pain and resentment. I got up and I wrapped my arms around the both of them, hugging both my little sisters. I felt Yelizaveta tense up at my hand ending up on her shoulder, but, rather than objecting, she melted into my touch and, while I couldn't see her face, I could almost feel her tears dissipate and a smile blessing her face.

"I love the both of you and I'm so happy for our family. You'll have those European boys wrapped around your finger Sophie, not a single one of them will be able to say no to you." I meant every word of it, but there was more to it, Liz and I were back on track for the first time since I made that massive mistake. My country was expanding, my court was expanding, and soon enough, my family would be expanding.

* * *

I wore a purple ball gown with gold embroidery going down the chest, a golden dress crown on my head, my blonde hair cascading down into the frilly golden collar surrounding my head. I thought this dress was entirely ridiculous, between the massive collar and the hoop skirt holding out skirts every which may, but at least I managed to negotiate with my mother to keep my face from being powdered - reasoning that I was pale enough as it is - but it all had a purpose. My little sister was the one getting married and her dress symbolized the Russian royal family, but my dress had to represent a higher purpose, showing that I was the Empress of the Third Rome, hence, it was made in outrageously expensive purple fabrics. I stood at the stairs leading down to the Ukrainian Ballroom, meeting Yelizaveta before the two of us joined the ceremony. We were to make a royal entrance before welcoming in Sofiya, we were going to be the ones to introduce her into her debutante ball. Liz was dressed in a red and white dress, there were bits of blue trim, as well as plenty of golden jewelry and embroidery. I was the Third Rome, Sofiya was The Tsardom of Russia, and Yelizaveta's dress symbolized The Grand Principality of Muscovy.

"I feel ridiculous." I admitted to Liz, finally bringing a legitimate smile to her face. Yelizaveta grabbed my hands in hers, our almost identical, little ivory hands peaking out from the golden frills of my sleeves and the white frills of hers. We only wore these gowns for balls and portraits, it wasn't practical to wear these kinds of gowns constantly, you couldn't even really sit in them, hence, we usually wore conventional dresses which were somewhat less decorated. Those dresses also tended to be somewhat more form fitting, something which I certainly didn't mind, especially since those gowns, much like these, were often worn with corsets. Corsets which pinched the waist - though, to be fair, none of us really had much of a waist to pinch - and supported the breasts, lifting them, perhaps even accentuating them. Liz was beautiful though, even all this pomp and circumstance in clothing form couldn't change that about my younger sister. I, almost unconsciously, began to lean in to kiss her, Liz leaning in as well, her eyes when starting to flutter closed, she was accepting this. We were about to kiss when we heard the door behind us crack open just a bit, a servant girl announcing that it was time. A deep sigh and Liz and I broke off, abandoning that romantic feeling in favor of focusing on our duties during the ball. It was now our mission to show all our grand, European guests that, not only was my new palace the greatest in Europe, but we knew how to host a debutante ball as well, securing a worthwhile marriage for Sofiya, and an alliance for Russia.

"Introducing Tsarina Anastasia Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, Tsarina of all Russia, Tsarina of the Steppe, Tsarina of Siberia, Tsarina of the Ukraine, Tsarina of Byelorussia, Tsarina of Kazan, Tsarina of Astrakhan, Tsarina of Crimea, Tsarina of the Caucasus. Grand Princess of Muscovy, Grand Princess of Vladimir, Grand Princess of Novgorod, Grand Princess of Ryazan, Grand Princess of Tver, Grand Princess of Kiev, Grand Princess of Minsk. Princess of the Resurrection, Princess of Beloozero, of Rostov, of Yaroslavl, of Odoyev, of Perm, of Pskov, of Nizhny Novgorod, of the Ural. Princess of Smolensk, of Polotsk, of Chernigov, of Zaporizhia, of Sevastopol, of Yerevan, of Baku. Autocrat of the lands of the Golden Horde, Autocrat of the lands of the Nogai Horde, Autocrat of the lands of the Kazan Horde. Mistress and Protector of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Hereditary Princess and Suzerain of The Kingdom of Georgia, Mistress and Overlord of The Principality of Transylvania. Overlord of all Cossacks and their Hosts, Bane of the Khanates and the Hordes, and Sovereign of the crossroads of Europe and Asia. She who has vanquished The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and converted them into our ally, she who has turned the tide against The Ottoman Empire in the struggle for Europe, she who has claimed lands from the Baltic to the Pacific. Besieger of Warsaw, Yerevan and Baghdad, slayer of Sigismund Augustus II of Poland, and defender of the Christians of Serbia and Bulgaria. Caesar and Empress of the Third Rome, Supreme Autocrat of all of Russia, Defender of the Faith, Anastasia the Great." A crier announced my entrance, listing off the latest version of my royal titles, equipped with my accomplishments from both The Kievan Reconquest and The Russo-Ottoman War. I also added major Russian cities such as Kazan, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, Yerevan, and Baku to my titles.

"And Tsarevna Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, heiress of Russia, Grand Princess of Muscovy, and Princess of Georgia." the crier introduced Yelizaveta as well as the two of as walked hand-in-hand down the steps, the entire room focused on the two of us. I started to realize why my mother wanted me to powder my face as I blushed from all the attention, but, despite the blush, i couldn't help but feel powerful. My accomplishments and my vast holdings were laid out to what felt like the whole world. My newly conquered lands in the west and the south, the gold, diamonds, and vast minerals of Siberia, and Europe's newest great power, all of it was being unveiled today. Yelizaveta and I reached the bottom of the steps and separated, somewhat reluctantly, each of us going to either end of the staircase. The crier bowed and was dismissed while I prepared to properly introduce Sofiya.

"Bachelors of Europe, I introduced to you, Sofiya Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, Tsarevna of Russia, Grand Princess of Muscovy, and Princess of Georgia, debutante." I introduced her as Sofiya began floating down the steps with infinite grace. The Grand Principality of Muscovy was now only a titular state, after all, it had been transformed into The Tsardom of Russia, therefore, I assigned both Yelizaveta and Sofiya with the title of Grand Princess of Muscovy. We were all Georgian Princesses as well, though due to Georgian inheritance favoring men and our inheritance being further out mother, none of us were particularly high up in the line of succession, nevertheless, I wore the title Hereditary Princess and Suzerain of Georgia to symbolize the great influence Russia now had over the Caucasian Kingdom. Sofiya reached the bottom of the steps and the crowd applauded her as the dance began. King Constantine IV of Georgia took her first dance, taking on the role our father would have taken if he were still alive. Our uncle and the source of our shared title led Sofiya out into the center of the ballroom, beginning the festivities. In the mean time, I walked back over to Yelizaveta, offering her my hand.

"May I have this dance?" I asked, not caring about our image for a moment - first of all, people would be far too focused on Sofiya, the lady of the evening, to pay too much attention to us, second of all, we were siblings, a dance between sisters at this kind of ball is hardly unheard of - hoping that she would accept the dance, hoping that I interpreted Liz's feelings earlier at the top of the stairs correctly.

"Of course, my Tsarina." Liz smiled and grabbed my hand, we walked out onto the floor together, putting my hand on her waist and holding her hand up in the other. I heard Yelizaveta breath a sigh of relief, the fear that she had when Sofiya unveiled her dress faded away, she knew that, whatever happened tonight with suitors asking for blessings, Yelizaveta would have the first and, by far, the most memorable dance. I resisted to urge to kiss her as we stared into each other's eyes, our actions perfectly mirrored, going on nothing but instinct as our minds thought of different things, better things. There were other pairs dancing all around us, there was a band of Russians perfectly following the directions of an Italian composer at the other end of the room, and Constantine was, in Georgian, giving Sofiya specific instructions for how to handle each of her suitors, how to be affectionate without being too cold or too familiar, but, for Liz and I, all of that could be an ocean away. Everything else faded into white noise in the background as the two of us were lost in our own little world. Out of the blue, Liz spoke "I probably shouldn't, but I forgive you Nastya, I'm upset, but I'm not angry enough to hurt you...to hurt the both of us."

"Thank you, Yelizaveta," I whispered, sincerely, as the dance came to a close, bowing and leaving with a chaste kiss to Liz's hand, the most I could get away with. Yelizaveta moved to grab Sofiya for a dance, coordinating with me. The suitor would come to me, ask for my blessing, and I would hand them off to Sofiya, who was free for the next dance. Yelizaveta would then take the opportunity to escape to the edge of the ballroom, joining my mother in quiet observation. I wish I was lucky enough to join them, but instead, I have to both play politics and be a proper good sister. I will let Sofiya choose from her suitors, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to make sure they're going to be good for my little sister and suit The Tsardom of Russia's interests.

"May I have this dance?" I turned to see a mustached man with tied back black hair dressed in a light blue coat, which he wore under a white and gold sash. His trousers were white and tucked into a fair of knee high black leather boots. His outfit was fashionable, if a bit militaristic, and he didn't seem to be any older than I was, perhaps a little younger even. I suppose he passed the very minimal visual inspection for a suitor. I was seriously about an alliance and letting Sophie choose, but that didn't mean I was going to let her marry an old widower prince or one who wouldn't defer to me properly. After all, if I cannot trust a suitor to treat my sister well if they couldn't even show proper respect and dignity.

"Yes, you may," I allowed, raising my hand for the dance. I closed my eyes and began to dance with him as his hand joined mine. Large and strong...I didn't understand the appeal, it felt bulky, utilitarian, and brutish. The hand of the softest, most gentle man in the world does not even compare to the hand of the roughest, most calloused woman. His other hand found my hip, gripping it, I opened my eyes and glared at him. The Prince sheepishly smiled and moved his hand so it wasn't so much as touching me as it was floating over where my hip was. I considered this a bad first impression, but then again, I wasn't a heterosexual, perhaps Sofiya would have considered such an action romantic and passionate, whereas I just see it as perverse and unwelcome. The two of us went through the motions, but it was not a dance, not really anyway, it was merely a vehicle for having a conversation. He was going to introduce himself, state his intentions, and then ask for my blessing to have a dance with Sofiya. I would, most likely, approve this dance, after all, despite me not liking his conduct during the dance, I wasn't the one getting married to him, I was just making sure he suited my political interests and that I was tolerant of him socially.

"My name is Prince Joachim von Wittelsbach of Bavaria, second son of the Duke. I lead a forces of Bavarian and Wurttembergian troops against the heretics in The Swabian Campaign." Joachim began with his military accomplishments. The Duchy of Bavaria was a significant state, albeit a somewhat limited one given that it was surrounded by Austria to the south and east, given that the Habsburg realm began in Tyrol and swung all the way up to The Lands of The Bohemia Crown - though admittedly, the latter is going to change soon - meaning it could only really expand west or north. The war in The Holy Roman Empire, however, could present Bavaria with an opportunity to expand quite significantly into Swabia and Franconia. Politically, I suppose that meant that Joachim was acceptable, even if I felt a Tsardom was much more significant than a mere Duchy "Your sister, Sofiya, is not only a beautiful woman, but she gives me an excuse to join a much greater country, one where I can truly prove myself militarily. If you would have me, I would like to join you as a brother-in-law and a general."

"Very well then Joachim, you may dance with my sister. Leave an impression on her, the decision is ultimately hers." I warned as the dance concluded, he smiled and bowed again before heading over to Sophie. I sighed, it was only the first suitor and I was already exhausted with this. The next suitor allowed me to rest for the next round before coming by, this time, it was a Dutchman rather than a German. The situation in The Netherlands is a difficult one, The Dutch Republic is just that, a Republic, one deeply at war against Spain no less, however, due to that conflict, the Dutch have increasingly turned the House van Oranje, Princes of Orange and often, Stadtholders of The Netherlands. This particular man, young, blonde haired, green eyed, and dressed in a dark blue coat with an orange ascot, otherwise dressed in white, definitely played up his connection to The Dutch Republic. He wore this connection as if it were a true Kingdom, which, for the purposes of this alliance, it may be. The Dutch do have a naval presence in the Baltic and, with the help of Yasamin and her Bahmanid Sultanate, not only could I deny my European enemies India, I could deny them the entire Indian Ocean. I suppose I might as well hear out this Dutchman, after all, he had been considerate of me in waiting for this dance, though perhaps that betrays his nervousness, his lack of real status.

"Hello, my Tsarina, may I have this dance?" he asked, quietly, struggling with his Russian. I suppose I could have been harsh and considered that as a point against him, however, The Netherlands are far away from Europe, he never had a reason to learn Russian, so the fact that he clearly attempted it and practiced it is a positive if anything. I accepted the dance and allowed him to continue, allowed him to tell his story "My name is Frederik Filips of 's-Hertogenbosch, fourth son of the Stadtholder of The Dutch Republic and Prince of Orange, Willem Casimir. I studied with shipbuilders and sailors throughout The Netherlands, I could apply this knowledge to your navies, I could organize an alliance between my father and The Tsardom of Russia, an alliance which will support us against the Spanish and give you an ally on the Baltic, and a man who would cherish any moment he could spend with your sister. I know I may not be a hereditary sovereign, but I am from a small but very rich and powerful country with control as far away as Ceylon, Formosa, and the Moluccas."

"I understand what The Dutch Republic is doing in the Indian Ocean and I do indeed find it impressive, very well, you may dance with my Sophie. Now, go impress her, after all, the decision lies with her." I explained to the Stadtholder's son, acknowledging that, despite being small, young, and at war, The Netherlands were becoming quite the rich little country, mainly due to their island outposts near India and China, as well as their growing operations in the Spice Islands. The English and the French were strongest, but the Dutch were the first to arrive in the Indian Ocean and disrupt the Portuguese presence, meaning that, with any luck, the Dutch will win the greatest prizes in the region, meanwhile, I will sure Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani to guarantee a place for Russia in India, creating a strong and stable ally what will defeat the other Europeans, yet remain indebted and loyal to Russia. The chaos of the Portuguese fading away while the other Europeans scramble to pick up the pieces of their colonial Empire represents the greatest opportunity for a new power like Russia to intervene in this region. We will have Yasamin intervene before anyone has the chance to consolidate stable control over the Indian Ocean. She truly is the Persian interloper.

"My liege, I was hoping for a dance." I turned, in surprise, to see a young, redhead Prince standing before me, speaking perfect Russian yet still wearing an embarrassed blush on his gentle face, a face which appeared to somehow be both masculine and feminine. I hardly considered him attractive, however, I found him preferable to look at than Joachim or Frederik Filips. His hair was short and fiery, his eyes blue, and he wore a white tunic with a yellow belt at his waist, marked with three blue lions. A short red cape with a white border flowed down the same length of his tunic, while he wore frilled dark trousers tucked into red and white stockings which in turn were tucked into knee-high boots. This was the garb of a Lutheran Prince, that much was clear, such styles were fashionable in northern Germany and Scandinavia, which, combined with the pattern on his belt, outed him as a Dane.

"OF course, and you would be?" I asked as I began dancing with the Dane, realizing that The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway fit perfectly into my plans for containing Sweden. The Kingdom of Sweden is strong, but it is not strong enough to compete with an alliance of The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. They would be encircled and their campaigns penetrating deep into Germany would be vulnerable. The Bavarians are preoccupied with defending their own lands and making successes against neighboring states, The Dutch Republic is already involved in a costly war and stretched across the oceans, the Danes are the only ones in a position to actually help me in my wars and my conquests.

"Prince Christopher of Denmark-Norway, titular Duke of Holstein-Gottorp." I raised a blonde eyebrow but the redhead was quickly to explain while dancing, clearly better at it than either of the previous two candidates, able to stay coordinated and hold a detailed conversation at once "Our territories in Schleswig and Holstein remain a complication, being lands in the Empire, we had hoped that the chaos in Germany would finally allow us to assert greater authority over those lands while establishing an absolutist monarchy in Copenhagen. The Swedes, unfortunately, had other ideas. The so-called Adolphus Rex has provoked the German nobles into electing an ally of Sweden to the throne, meaning that, when my father dies, rather than my brother getting Denmark and Norway while I reign as his vassal in Gottorp, Gottorp will be a Swedish puppet and a threat to our south. Needless to say, this has resulted in Denmark needing to find powerful allies against Sweden, I am particularly in favor of facing them. I see you, Tsarina Anastasia, a wonderful and powerful woman with her eyes on the Baltic, and I see a partner to face the Swedes, not only that, but I look across your ballroom and I see a young beauty flowing in a golden dress emblazoned with your double-headed eagle. I know what that dress represents, it represents Denmark's greatest chance of regaining supremacy in Scandinavia."

"How do I know you won't betray me and take Livonia for yourself? The Danes have pursued a Dominium Maris Baltici in the past." I pointed out, bringing out the Latin phrase for a policy which Denmark and Sweden have long competed over. Danes have, at various points, maintained a presence in Estonia, only to be pushed back at one point or another, why should I trust them not to take Estonia and Livonia altogether when faced with seizing the lands of The Livonian Order in the upcoming war against Sweden? If he could give a satisfying answer to this question, not only would he have my blessing, but he would have my favoritism. Prince Christopher - likely named after a trio of earlier Danish Kings from a time before they were all named Christian or Frederik - was already much better than the first two candidates, if he could navigate this question and charm Sofiya, I could definitely see him being Sophie's choice.

"You are, my lady. Quite frankly, I think even my father realizes how terrifying you are, especially with your ally in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Lady Krystyna Wlodzislawa. The Danes are a pragmatic people, we are quite aware of what we can and cannot get out of a war with Sweden. We shall settle for Holstein-Gottorp and perhaps regaining some of the losses we took in Scania and along the Norwegian border." Christopher explained. Now that, was an explanation that I was satisfied with - it was not flattery, no self-respecting Prince would belittle his own country just to flatter another ruler - it was the truth. I also took note of the fact he was aware that Lady Krystyna was being groomed to rule The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, likely as a consequence of Krystyna capitalizing on her victory at Varna, that implied that Christopher is educated on and aware of European affairs and intrigue. He was smart, he was realistic, and he came from a more than satisfactory country. The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway was not quite a great power, but it was definitely a strong, secondary power.

"Very well, I hope you leave a strong impression on my Sophie. It is not my choice to make, but I would hope that she chooses you." I gave Christopher a warm smile and directed him towards my sister, clearing showing far more hospitality than I offered to the first two. Satisfied with the suitors - there were more, but they would have to make do without my blessing, I found the man I wanted to marry Sofiya - I started making my way over to Yelizaveta and our mother. I observed the room as I walked, seeing Joachim recognize Countess Maria, only for the former Swabian Princess and ruler of Lubeck to completely and utterly reject his request for a dance. I saw General Mikhailovich standing stiffly by the stairs, clearly having no interest in this event of royal abundance yet having to keep up appearances; I rolled my eyes, his views on monarchy hold no place in the increasingly absolutist Europe. On the other end of generals, I saw a clearly drunk Perevernykruchenko entertaining a Polish noblewoman with a Cossack dance while her husband glared at the pair of them, indignantly, clearly unimpressed by the event yet lacking the courage to convert the Cossack himself. Amused by the events happening elsewhere in the ballroom, I finally joined my family at the edge of the room, watching Sophie dance with Prince Christopher. The Dano-German Prince making her laugh and smile, seemingly leaving a good impression on my sister.

"Who is he?" Yelizaveta asked, but my mother clearly wanted to know as well.

"A Danish Prince and a potential ally, he impressed me and he seems to be doing the same to Sofiya. I approve." I smiled, I think it will make a good pairing, I think this is the perfect way to secure heirs for Russia and the fact that Christopher acknowledges that Russia is stronger than Denmark-Norway means that he have a good chance of convincing him that their children should belong to The House Rurikovich. A marriage through the female line is unusual in Europe, but, in this case, the female party is clearly in the stronger position, so the circumstances are unusual as well. The House von Oldenburg is an old and influential German dynasty, one which has landed itself on the Danish throne, however, The House Rurikovich is older, stronger, and in a position of dominance over eastern Europe and western Asia, that means that their children should be Rurikids. The fact that Sofiya will, technically, be heiress once I die and Yelizaveta succeeds me - even though Sophie has no intention of ruling, not right now anyway - only strengthens that reasoning. Christopher may be able to leverage Holstein-Gottorp, but we can leverage all of Russia, a state stronger than all the Danish realms and Holstein-Gottorp combined. This will all benefit Russia in the end.

* * *

Alright guys, this has been chapter thirty-two of The Legacy of The Romans! Next chapter will take us to the Ottoman storyline, chapter thirty-four will return to Russia to kick off the Russian side of act three conflict, and then, we'll really get into the plot. Chapter thirty-eight will rap up the climax and then chapters thirty-nine and forty will cover the Ottoman and Russian aftermaths, respectively. I realize I introduced a lot of characters in this chapter, but it is about Anastasia forming her new court, so really, it's more about establishing that Russia will have a strong government in the future than starting like seven new character arcs with only a handful of chapters to go. Anyway, ciao!

Peace out!


	33. The Intrigues of Konstantiniyye

Hello, hello everyone! This is chapter thirty-three of Romans and the first Ottoman chapter of act three! I've been writing this story for over a year at this point and I find it very exciting that we're in the closing stages now, I hope you enjoy these final few chapters!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXIII.

The Intrigues of Konstantiniyye.

* * *

"Abdullah Timur must be growing into quite the handsome boy by now." Fatimah tried to focus on the bright side of things as our carriage entered Konstantiniyye, dark clouds of defeat hanging ominously over the Ottoman capital. The dullness of the Turkish streets and the utter apathy surrounding the bazaars stood in sharp contrast to the lively and active victorious Empire Fatimah and I toured through after The Ottoman Conquest of Arabia. Our hopes and dreams for The Ottoman Empire were far from shattered, the two of us would bounce back and recover from this defeat, but the prevailing opinion in the capital was one that, somehow, Tsarina Anastasia had crushed our entire civilization, shattering our future. I wasn't sure how the two of us were going to turn this around, without the support and the hope of the people, many of our plans to ensure The Ottomans are strong, prosperous, and permanent may not be possible.

A victorious mood puts pride and vigor into the populace, that means that our people will be more willing to spend money at our markets and bazaars, it means that bankers will have more confidence when providing us loans, and it inspires a certain fear in our Christian and Jewish populations, a fear which makes them unwilling to revolt and willing to pay the taxes the Sunni government wages on infidels. That jizya tax on the dhimmi combined with taxes on our prospering Muslim population means that, a victorious mood in the Empire allows for ambitions plans, massive construction efforts, and healthy investments, the necessary products for Fatimah and I's plans. The fact that The Ottoman Empire is in a defeated, dejected mood, along with the fact that we have lost a portion of our tax base - particularly the Armenians, Nestorians, and Georgians in the south Caucasus who used to pay us the jizya tax - means that a lot of the revenue we need is simply not there. Our plans were intended to inspire hope in The Ottoman Empire despite a military defeat to the Russians, but that military defeat is now the biggest obstacle in us embarking on those plots to inspire hope. We may want to build a canal in Egypt, an irrigation system in North Africa, and build up fortifications at our borders, but right now, it is questionable if we have the resources necessary for such projects.

"Indeed, he's not so little anyone, he's not a one year old infant anymore, he should be a healthy four year old boy. I can't wait to see what Xanthippi and Captain Draganov have to say about him." I eventually replied, the grimness of Konstantiniyye was uncharacteristic and disturbing to us both, but we were trying to look on the bright side after all, so I did entertain Fatimah's question. I was legitimately excited to see my son again, regardless of my complicated feelings about him, the Greek woman and Olga, the cross dressing Bulgarian captain, took very capable care of him. Perhaps I may even be happier with my son now, he's come a long way from struggling to walk his first steps before the war, now, Abdullah Timur should be walking, talking, and beginning to show the very first traits of a Sultan, if he early tutoring under Xanthippi is working out. There is a lot I want to see and there is a lot I should be excited about, despite the fact that the people of The Ottoman Empire don't seem to have as much faith in Fatimah and I as we deserve.

It may be a bit extreme of me to say that no one could have defeated Tsarina Anastasia, however, I don't think that the remark is all that far from the truth. In The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, neither Sigismund Augustus II or Jan the Prussia were able to stop her during her invasion, the former even dying during the war at The Battle of Brest. Sigismund Augustus II was not an incompetent ruler, far from it, he and his predecessors simply failed to modernize following a war against Russia - the Poles and Lithuanians had pushed all the way to Moscow, only to be turned back, pushed back, and lose Smolensk in the following treaty. The Poles seem to have forgotten about the fact that they were pushed back and lost and instead they stewed in the hubris of their ability to reach Moscow - while Russia took the lessons to heart and ruthlessly modernized. The Vasa King was then up against a modern, larger Russian army under capable leadership, a disadvantage which led to his death. There are some who would argue that Jan the Prussian could have done better if he were elected earlier, rather than having to become King during a failing war and desperately scrambling to turn the tide. I find this doubtful, the Prussian was no more of a tactical genius than his predecessor was, both coming from militaristic, Germanic cultures, both of which lost to Tsarina Anastasia. I question if anyone in The Ottoman Empire could have done between that King Sigismund Augustus, Jan the Prussian, or Fatimah and I. We were doomed to fail this war.

"Speaking of Captain Draganov, another bright side is that the Janissaries seem to have been able to maintain order." Fatimah noted as our carriage entered the walls of Topkapi Palace, the Captain does indeed seem to have succeeded, Fatimah and I reasserted our authority prior to our Balkan Campaign and, ever since, Spartak Pasha has been uncharacteristically silent. The Albanian turned Turkish traditionalist must be intimidated of our legions of converted Balkan children turned royal guards and shock troops. I also wonder if Olga has made any breakthroughs in her investigations, either the one into my husband's murder by the Levantine guards or her investigation into Spartak Pasha and the traditionalist faction, and whether or not those two investigations are actually one in the same. I believe Ibrahim Pasha may have organized the coup to seize power, using Levantine Arabs to disguise his faction's involvement, and now, after Olga and I outmaneuvered the former Grand Vizier, his protege is attempting to salvage that plan and pick up the pieces. The man is a schemer, but a schemer with powerful friends, the fact we are returning defeated very much suggests that the opportunist may soon strike. Fatimah and I must be vigilant and careful.

"I can only imagine that means the traditionalists wish us to be present for their next scheme or outrageous demand." I rolled my eyes, knowing that Spartak Pasha and his allies, despite their fear of the Janissaries and Fatimah and I asserting our authority, would capitalize on our defeat. This is, despite the fact that, as I've said before, The Ottoman Empire would crumble against the might of Anastasia's Russia if things were left up to the traditionalists. The Turkish aristocracy of Anatolia and Konstantiniyye are a selfish lot, they are concerned with their own affairs, they do not see the larger picture. Ibrahim Pasha potentially used Levantine assassins to trigger his coup, but he failed to realize that, had Olga and I not stopped him, he would have been left in control of an Empire which includes Levantine Arabs, Egyptians, North African Arabs, Berbers, Copts, Iraqis, Persians, Kurds, Greeks, Assyrians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Croatians, Albanians, Romanians, Hungarians, Jews, and, at the time, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Georgians. An empire as diverse as our Empire cannot survive under a faction which only cares for the needs of a few, especially when that faction can barely decide who it includes. Spartak Pasha wants to lead the faction, but he himself is not Turkish, unfortunately, the faction seems to hate the two of us more than him, so they have yet to concern themselves with the fact that their own leader is contrary to their ideology.

"Oh of course, but we won't let them stop us. Spartak Pasha will never be able to outmaneuver us the way that Tsarina Anastasia did at Konstantinovskaya." Fatimah replied, referring to the overwhelming odds we were up against when confronted with the combined minds of some of the most influential and intelligent women in all of Europe. We were thoroughly outclassed at the negotiations and now, we lost land, we had to let the Russians pass freely through the Dardanelles, and now we were paying Russian armies to guarantee our borders. It was hard to tell how long it would take us to rebuild our armies - we had to get concrete numbers on how many of our troops died in combat, how many surrendered to the Russians and became prisoners, and how many surrendered their arms and fled back home. The more former troops in the second and third categories, the better, because those troops were now back in The Ottoman Empire, meaning that they could be brought back into my armies, the casualties would need to be replaced with fresh soldiers. Rearming the Empire would be a slow and expensive process, but it was one we had to do as quickly as possible. The longer we spent under these conditions, the more power Tsarina Anastasia held over our civilization and the longer we were vulnerable, as what happens to Anastasia's guarantee if she is preoccupied with a war elsewhere? Our security has to be our own matter, only The Ottoman Empire can be the master of its own destiny. It was my job as Sultana-regent to guarantee that, I did not do all of this to hand a crippled, subject state over to Abdullah Timur, all of this is to ensure my son's future, this is my life's purpose ever since my husband died.

"No, he's no match for the Russian monarch, surely even he realizes that." I reasoned as our carriage stopped and the two of us stepped out, finally back home after all these years on campaign, it is nice to return to the center of my power after spending so much time in territories which have now been ceded to our enemies. Crimea, including the city which I once called my home, is gone, now in Russian hands, Erivan and Baku, the cities my husband fought hard to capture from the Persians, are gone, and Moldavia, one of the Romanian Principalities Fatimah and I were planning on annexing is gone, and with that lost, Ottoman suzerainty over The Principality of Transylvania is lost, bringing our control over Hungary into question. The Kingdom of Hungary was once held in union with The Kingdom of Bohemia under the Jagiellonian dynasty, of Polish and Lithuanian origin, but we put an end to that union by slaying their King in battle, occupying much of Hungary, meanwhile, the Habsburgs took much of the western territory, Upper Hungary, as well as all of Bohemia. Transylvania, of course, survived, as a vassal remnant of Hungarian rule, despite being reduced to a territory mainly populated by Romanians. Prince Matyas, now independent and, based off The Second Battle of Varna, now in league with the ambitious and dangerous Lady Krystyna, will no doubt desire more of Hungary.

There was once a time were The Hungarian Crown stretched from the Carpathian Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, consisting of The Kingdom of Hungary and The Kingdom of Croatia, yet also holding considerable sway over neighboring states like Bosnia, Serbia, Wallachia, and Moldavia. Matyas and Lady Krystyna no doubt wish to replicate those grand borders and that wide-reaching influence, the problem with that is, Bosnia and Serbia belong to me, as does Croatia for that matter, and The Principality of Wallachia is my vassal, though, it is questionable for how long that shall hold. I have lost two of the three Romanian Principalities, I have no intention of losing the third, so I shall intervene with military force if necessary and outright annex Wallachia by force. The southernmost Principality has been problematic for centuries, dating all the way back to Vlad Draculesti, the Impaler, they will hardly tolerate being the only Romanian state still under Turkish rule. The Ottoman Empire will face further troubles and further wars as a result of this defeat, that is for certain - my dreams of a peaceful reign having been shattered - but I am confidant that Fatimah and I did the best we possibly could have, considering the circumstances. The fact that Lady Krystyna tried to get us to move our fortified military frontier south from Hungary is proof that the Russian led alliance would have taken more, if they were up against weaker leadership. Spartak Pasha would have crumbled under those conditions, his feeble mind incapable of grasping the fact he was utterly defeated by a league dominated by women, mainly Slavs no less, Slavs like the Serbs and Bulgarians he denounced as second to the Turks, another affront to the foolish ideology of the traditionalist faction.

"I'm not sure if Spartak Pasha is smart enough to realize much of anything. I don't want to talk about that weasel until we actually have to see him though, let's focus on the bright side, and _our_ son." Fatimah smiled as we entered the Palace, a group of Janissaries standing at attention, welcoming us back home. The Janissaries were still loyal, they understood that we did everything we possibly could have and failed, not only that, but these boys of Balkan stock know that things are best with a Sultana of similar origin rather than a faction of essentially Turkish supremacists. Fatimah and I went directly to the nursery, coming across only a few servants, ministers, and politicians on our way, most of whom paid us our proper respect, and even those who didn't did not become a problem. I smiled as we found two Janissaries blocking the door, pikes crossed and pistols at their hips. The guards smiled and bowed before the both of us, letting us in, likely all according to Captain Draganov's strict and specific orders.

I found Xanthippi watching Abdullah Timur as he went through his lessons for the day, Olga leaning against the wall, in such a position where she could see the entire room, seemingly relaxed, even having her hair down, not obfuscating her gender as she usually did, but clearly ready to defend my son and his guardian. I smiled, the Bulgarian woman was loyal and resourceful, she served me well, she, somewhat unknowingly, helped me realize my own sexuality and she stood with me even after I threatened to expose her secret gender and then went further, revealing that I spied on her. Olga Draganova was an incredibly loyal and useful ally, protecting my son and the future Sultan, and how had I repaid her? Allowing the Bulgarian Orthodox Church to fall under Russian influence. This isn't a problem for most Janissaries, given they were forced to convert to Sunni Islam and live in the barracks, but Olga actually had a life out there, living in a little apartment in Konstantiniyye with her lover, one of the many Orthodox Bulgarians in the capital city. There are Serbs here as well, not just out in the Balkans, and now, all of that was under Russian influence. They were not under the Patriarch of Moscow, but Moscow would choose their Patriarchs, making it questionable how independent and autonomous these Churches were going to be. Olga smiled and nodded at us anyway though, if she was upset with the results of The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, the woman was doing a good job of hiding it. Xanthippi rose as well with a smile, getting Abdullah Timur to look up.

"Hello, my little Timur," I knelt down and offered a welcoming smile, but that smile started to vanish when I saw Abdullah Timur cowering behind Xanthippi's skirts. My eyes widened as I realized that, after the lengthy campaign, my own toddler son, the reason why I decided to stay in the government despite never seeing The Ottoman Empire as a home, despite having the plot a murder just to keep my position, and despite Fatimah not being there yet to make reigning over the Empire tolerable, couldn't even recognize his own mother after this lengthy hiatus. I cursed Tsarina Anastasia, I may have been the one who declared war, but everyone in Europe knows that war between my Ottoman Empire and Anastasia's Tsardom of Russia was inevitable. The fact that she was celebrating the addition of Crimea and the Caucasus into her new Empire while I was here dealing with a floundering, defeatist mood in Konstantiniyye shows, more than anything, that she was the real aggressor here. Anastasia's ambition shattered my relationship with my son, I had been hoping, so desperately, that Abdullah Timur, walking and talking, would finally be something more to me than just a reminder of my awful marriage with my late husband, the political event I had to undergo to let my family live on in Genoese exile, instead, my own child doesn't even recognize me. I felt my mood deflating before Fatimah brought her hand to my shoulder, grounding me back to earth, letting me focus on her love and affection rather than the increasingly stressful state of my reign, my family, and my life.

"Come on Abdullah, this is Sultana Helena, your mother and your regent, next to her, that's Grand Vizier Fatimah bint-Abdul, the woman who will one day help you run The Ottoman Empire, you know them. You last saw them when you were just one year old, they would watch you while you sleep, they would dote over you, the loved you, come on, let them love you again." the Greek woman managed to coax Abdullah Timur out from his hiding place behind her legs, ushering him our in front of her and towards me. Abdullah Timur had glassy, big brown eyes that were showing some signs of recognition and realization as, even if he didn't remember us doting over the crib, he certainly knew who was mother was and he certainly knew about Fatimah. Fatimah was Grand Vizier, that made her the second most powerful figure in The Ottoman Empire, in fact, she was so powerful that, in a particularly humiliating treaty, The Holy Roman Emperor himself was forced to admit that his position was no greater than that of the Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire. This not only established that the Sultan was greater than the Emperor, but it showed just how powerful and influential the Grand Vizier was. He was dressed in a silk red robe and he evidently liked keeping his hair long, but Xanthippi had tied it back for him, he was a handsome young boy, finally quelling my worries over his development when he struggled to walk.

"Hello, mother," he greeted, still somewhat uncertain but relaxed, more relaxed than he had been anyway. His voice gentle, befitting of a child, almost girlish in a way, but that was hardly a problem, he was only four after all, Abdullah Timur will grow into having the strong, authoritative voice of a Sultan soon enough, in the meantime, Fatimah and I will be just fine ruling on his behalf. I opened my arms for him and I hugged my son, happy hearing him talk to me for the first time, happy to see him growing into a capable young man. I brushed his hair as Fatimah knelt down as well, showing her affection to the child we both considered our own, even if I was the only one physically involved in his conception and birth. Tears slid down my face as I started realizing all that I've missed, all which a mother was supposed to do but I didn't do. I missed his first proper words, I missed his progress from struggling to walk to mastering it to learning how to run, I missed nearly three years of his life. I swallowed, no wonder he didn't recognize me, I've missed more of his life than I've experienced at this point. This is the first time my son has truly been able to see Fatimah and I, to comprehend us, and I'm still hung up on my own worries and fears over him.

"Hello Abdullah Timur, we're back home. How are your lessons going?" I asked, letting go of the hug and asking about his lessons. My son was to learn Turkish, Greek, Arabic, and Persian - the last of which I don't even know - along with the history of the Ottoman dynasty, how to rule, administrative, negotiate, wage war, and improve the Empire, and about the intrigues of the Ottoman court. My son was going to be made to rule and the battle for power in Konstantiniyye was going to be crucial right now. Fatimah and I had our idea of how the future Sultan should be educated, but Spartak Pasha and the traditionalists definitely had another idea, an idea which would surely influence my son to favor Turkish interests and wage war further and further into Europe, Persia, and Africa, all to give Turkish aristocrats more land to rule over and more lands to convert to Sunni Islam. The reality is, there aren't enough Turks to administer the Empire as big as it is, and trying to expand will not only stretch our resources even more, but it will bring us into conflict with even more powers. Conflicts which shall grow increasingly dangerous now that Tsarina Anastasia has given the Europeans a taste of Ottoman blood, now, they circle us like hungry sharks, wishing to rip us apart piece by piece.

Expanding any further into Hungary will provoke the Habsburgs, not to mention the fact that it would be very unstable given that we've lost our hold over The Principality of Transylvania, nor the fact that this Lady Krystyna in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has not-so-subtle ambitions on the Hungarian rump state along the Carpathian Mountains. Persia, once the target of Ottoman expansion at any cost, is now just as risky an avenue for expansion, given that our border has shortened with the loss of Caucasia. The Russians sacking Baghdad and Tabriz also makes our border with Persia harder to defend, until our main fortifications are rebuilt, antagonizing the Qara Qoyunlu is a dangerous risk. The traditionalists proposed a plot for taking Sicily, one we once dismissed as possible, but Fatimah has evidently come around, thinking it's possible. I wasn't sure, not only would we have to take Sicily from Spain, but a serious conquest of Sicily would also require taking Malta, meaning that we would be at war with The Knights Hospitaller as well. The Pope would no doubt call for a crusade in response, unwilling to tolerate a Muslim presence in Italy, making that plot more trouble than it's worse.

"They're going well, I'm learning about my father, Sultan Suleiman." Abdullah Timur smiled, showing an admiration for his later father that I found jarring. Tabriz was the exception, but other than that, Suleiman's gains for The Ottoman Empire have all but been erased, thanks to Russia taking eastern Armenia and northern Azerbaijan, including Yerevan and Baku. I was not a fan of this, I didn't love my husband, given that I had to offer myself to him as a bride to prevent my family from being imprisoned as captives or worse, executed as pests and potential thorns in the side of the Sultan. I also had to endure the loveless conception of Abdullah Timur itself, an event where I took no pleasure. I felt no love, in fact, no emotion from Suleiman, just a cold, dispassionate release of pleasure. I was married to Sultan Suleiman III, I experienced the reality of the sex that resulted in Abdullah Timur, I lived with him, that made it hard to cope with my own son having a false, nostalgic perception of his father. I cringed internally, I had to make my son forget about his father and look at me as his idol, but I wanted to be gentle about it, my son would only turn away from me if I openly tried to make him hate his father.

"Okay then, we'll leave you to your lessons for now, we'll see you again soon Abdullah Timur," Fatimah jumped in, saving me from my own reaction to Abdullah Timur's surprising admiration of his late father. I suppose it was inevitable, after all, the child only had the grand chronicles and court records of his father, along with a grand portrait in the halls, all meant to make him look as perfect, powerful, and unquestionable as possible. Abdullah Timur would not have to face the harsh realities and the failures of the real Sultan, meanwhile, Timur would see everything wrong with Fatimah and I, all our flaws, all our truths, and all our mistakes, that would skew his perception far from the truth. Abdullah Timur went from a baby to an actual child, the beginnings of a real person, and both his parents were absent for that. Suleiman III was dead, assassinated through no fault of his own, but I was absent because I was off on campaign. Abdullah Timur, perhaps unconsciously, was resenting me for my absence, for not being there for him. Fatimah ushered me out of the room as I thought about how shattered my relationship with my son was, the whole reason I was still Sultana-regent, leaving my whole existence in question.

* * *

My tattered relationship with my son was not quite enough apparently, as, once Fatimah and I were in the throne room, Spartak Pasha approached us. I groaned, and, as if that wasn't enough, he wasn't approaching us with his usual arrogance and anger, he was approaching us as a sycophant, bowing before us, struggling to hide the confidant smirking that was constantly threatening to twist onto his features. This meant that he was scheming, never a good sign, especially not considering the current circumstances following The Russo-Ottoman War.

"My liege, it is most unfortunate that we have failed in this war. Perhaps we could have performed better if we focused our efforts on the Balkans sooner, perhaps our armies were too dependent on local, undependable troops rather than loyal, mighty Turks, perhaps this was merely us losing divine favor for putting so much faith into a pair of women, contrary to the lessons of-" Spartak Pasha began his speech before I cut him off. The Albanian turned Turkish traditionalist, even while scheming, could not resist the urge to explain everything he felt was wrong with my rule, but I was having none of it, Spartak Pasha was objectively wrong. First of all, focusing on the Balkan front earlier would have merely left Crimea and Caucasia to Anastasia, giving her exactly what she wanted. The mighty Turks line is absolutely ridiculous, we don't have enough Turks to efficiently administer the Empire, let alone enough Turks to man our armies. If we did not depend on local manpower, we wouldn't have nearly enough armies to control Anatolia, the Balkans, Iraq, Tabriz, Syria, the Levant, the Hejaz, Najd, eastern Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Hormuz, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Algeria, the Aegean Islands, Croatia and Istria, and Ottoman Hungary, our Empire is far too vast to be homogeneous in any way. As for God damming us for having female rulers, that was so stupid I had to address it directly.

"If the problem is putting faith in women, why did we lose to a Russian court of women? Tsarina Anastasia, Tsarevna Yelizaveta, Lady Krystyna in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and other women like Bathory Terezia orchestrated the Russian side of the war? If there is a problem with women, the country with a Sultana-mother as a regent and a Grand Vizier who was clearly the most qualified of the candidates." I replied, coldly educating Spartak Pasha and ended on a not-so-subtle snub at his expense. Spartak Pasha wanted to replace his mentor, Ibrahim Pasha, as Grand Vizier and leader of the traditionalists, he failed at the former, but he seems to have had some success as the latter, enough success to be a recurring problem. That was the problem with Spartak Pasha is that, while he is a blatant problem, he is a blatant problem with support from a powerful and significant faction within The Ottoman Empire, meaning that, if I try to have him removed from office, his allies will object, and that could potentially be a real problem for my reign. I couldn't risk trying to have Spartak Pasha killed, Olga and I succeeded in getting away with killing Ibrahim Pasha, but it would really be pushing our luck to try another assassination, especially with tensions high between the traditionalists and my loyalists after Spartak demanding Fatimah and I take our troops to the Balkans.

"As for the traditions of the Empire," Fatimah jumped on Spartak along with me, delighted to torment the regular thorn in our side for so long, my wife was just as angry at him if I was, if not more so, given that she disliked Spartak Pasha before she even came to the capital. Fatimah hasn't given me a reason, but I suspect it may be as simple as Spartak being himself the man trying to be a Turk and speaking of the superiority of the Turks, all the while, Fatimah bint Abdul is an incredibly capable North African Arab woman, that alone is enough to make the two dislike each other "You speak of the Turkish dominance of the Empire, ignoring the fact that you're not a Turk to begin with, the only thing that has traditionally been Turkish about The Ottoman Empire is the ruling class. The Ottoman dynasty and the nobility spoke Persian until recently, not Turkish, after all, The Ottoman Empire considered themselves a successor of The Sultanate of Rum who were, in turn, successors of the great Seljuk Empire. Ibrahim Pasha was the first Turkish Grand Vizier in centuries, the post has traditionally been held by Balkan peoples in order to ensure the loyalty of the European parts of the Empire. The Turkish language is not traditional in Topkapi Palace, that would be Persian, the Grand Vizier is not usually a Turkish post, and the only reason you are here is that The Ottoman Empire tolerates Albanians like you."

"...Right, my apologies, my liege," Spartak swallowed his pride and grovelled, this wasn't a good sign, this meant that the fool had enough of a plan in place that he wasn't going to let his own ego get in the way of it. I narrowed my eyes and waited for him to explain itself "The truth is, though, we don't know why The Ottoman Empire failed in this war, though we our already forming ideas as to how we can change that. The Janissaries, our elite shock troopers, were tasked with protecting the palace and the young Sultan, now, we understand more than anyone else that the true Turkish lord of our Empire needs to be protected, however, we think that, if the Janissaries were leading the charge at Tskhumi, Azov, or Varna, the results of those battles could have been very different. That would, of course, leave the Palace undefended, therefore, we propose that, an existing group within the Empire, the Levantine Guard of Suleiman III."

"You mean the same guard who assassinated him?" I questioned, immediately shooting down the plan. There was an element of logic to it, I doubt that the Janissaries could have single-handedly turned the tide of the war, but on a level of individual battles, perhaps the Janissaries would have improved our performance, perhaps they would have had an effect. This same talent and capability is also why I trusted them with protecting my son, along with the fact that I trust them and consider them my close allies, that loyalty is also, no doubt, part of why Spartak Pasha wants them out of the way. This move, while it does not necessarily confirm, brings further suspicion to the traditionalists triggering the Levantine coup against my husband so that Ibrahim Pasha could seize power as both Grand Vizier and regent. It all depends on whether Spartak Pasha intends to simply clear the obstacle that is the Janissary or if he is more ambitious and he intends to put his own troops and loyalists in their place to spring his own coup. Fatimah and Olga's investigations into the coup are more important now than ever.

"I can assure you, those were rogue actions. The leader of the Levantine Guard, Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Dimashqi, has personally assured me that they have completed their own internal investigation and-" Spartak Pasha began a rant, his frustration showing again - the man had a good plan it seems, but he was still foolish, that showed in his stubbornness and inflexibility, he had his plan but that was all he had, he couldn't adapt it - but Fatimah cut him off as she and I realized that, in his anger, the snake himself slipped up, revealing two things that we didn't know before now, things which would, seriously speed up our investigations and, likely, incriminate Spartak Pasha and the traditionalists. Perhaps with real evidence and the support of the people once we exposed that evidence, we could overcome the traditionalists' power and remove them from office, truly controlling our Empire.

"Funny, the documentation about the leadership of The Levantine Guard was lost in the transition from Suleiman III to the regency, there is no record of this Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Dimashqi in Topkapi Palace. There is no evidence of an internal investigation either, how would you know about such things, Spartak Pasha? I may remind you that there are official investigations into this matter, investigations into treason against The Ottoman Empire." Fatimah's voice took a deadly, cold quality as she spelled out Spartak Pasha's doom to him. The Albanian's brown eyes widened as he realized his mistake. His attempt to get the Levantine Guard into Topkapi Palace was now going to result in that whole organization being hunted down and arrested. Spartak rose without a word and rushed out of the throne room, Captain Draganov made a move to intercept him but I stopped "him," Spartak Pasha was going to be useful to me yet.

"Captain Draganov, wait a moment, Spartak Pasha will, no doubt, send a letter to al-Dimashqi, warning him of his blunder, once that letter is drafted, intercept Spartak, find out where that letter is being sent, and dispatch your Janissaries to arrest him. Meanwhile, Fatimah, I want you searching Ottoman records for anything having to do with this man, try Damascus first, then expand your investigation to the rest of Syria if that fails. That should be enough, but even if it isn't, I know you'll find a way to find the rest of the Levantine Guard leadership, once you do, get this information to Captain Draganov immediately. Janissaries will have them all arrested and executed publicly in front of Topkapi Palace as soon as possible." I ordered, watching two of the most capable women in The Ottoman Empire spring into action. Their investigations were finally coming together and, Spartak Pasha, in his attempt to surround us with his own guards, he exposed his own co-conspirators and potentially solved all our investigations for us. The mysteries of the Levantine Coup, the traditionalist faction, and the link between the two was all about to be solved, all thanks to yet another failure courtesy of Spartak Pasha.

* * *

"We intercepted the letter from Spartak's office and dispatched Janissaries to Damascus to capture and apprehend al-Dimashqi, additionally, I seized all of Spartak's correspondences. I handed those over to Fatimah bint-Abdul so that she could search through them." Olga reported, Captain Draganov had indeed been successful, very successful. Olga took initiative and confiscated every letter that Spartak Pasha received, searching these letters could expose further conspirators, tell us who is of questionable loyalty, and offer us an insight into who Spartak approached unsuccessfully - factions who refused to be a part of his schemes may be factions that Fatimah and I can use to strengthen our own authority - all of this could be within these letters. This was a catastrophic failure for the traditionalist faction, their role in the coup against my husband was about to be exposed, their secret backers within the Empire would become known, and we would also know their other enemies with The Ottoman Empire, creating a united front against them, a united front which may finally be able to overpower this particular thorn in my side. The Ottoman Empire may have lost The Russo-Ottoman War, but Fatimah and I are about to win a massive internal victory.

"Excellent," I said as I grabbed one of the sealed letters that Olga seized, I wasn't sure why I picked this particular one, maybe because it looked the strangest and I was curious, maybe I had a bad feeling over seeing a cross on the seal, meaning that this letter came from some Christian country, or maybe it was just random and I happened to get lucky find one of the most important letters in Konstantiniyye. I took a closer look at the seal before opening it, seeing a Nordic cross on it with three crowns in the top left corner. I opened the letter and read it, realizing that Spartak Pasha recently began writing to Prince Adolf of Sweden in Bremen. The Prince, destined to become King Adolf II, was leading the Swedish forces in the northwestern part of The Holy Roman Empire, trying to take the Hanseatic City of Bremen for his father, Adolphus Rex, who was leading the Swedish charge in Bohemia. My eyes widened as I realized the content of this letter, the Levantine Guard was only one of Spartak Pasha's plans, his main one, but not his only one.

"Spartak Pasha is offering Prince Adolf of Sweden support in capturing Bremen in exchange for the Swedes sacking Konstantiniyye and removing us from power." I revealed the contents of the letter as Fatimah entered the room with the names and locations of men associated with Muhammad ibn Hassan al-Dimashqi, many of which were likely to be Levantine Guard leaders, or people otherwise related to the coup or conspiracy. Fatimah's expression was just as shocked and disturbed upon hearing the news. The traditionalists were desperate for power and were willing to do anything for it, even letting the Swedes sack our capital while we were weak. This could be another reason why Spartak Pasha wanted the Janissaries out of the way, as it would take The Ottoman Empire's most elite troops out of the equation. The Levantine Guard killed my husband on orders from Ibrahim Pasha, so I had the former Grand Vizier killed, now, Ibrahim Pasha's protege is fully prepared for revenge, wanted to replace my loyalists with his and is getting one of the most elite armies in Europe to invade my defenseless capital. I can only hope that Sweden will refuse, after all, Prince Adolf is preoccupied with taking Bremen, Konstantiniyye is on the opposite end of Europe from Sweden, and there is predominantly enemy Catholic territory in between Adolf and my capital. That being said, Adolf may accept, the Swedes are descended from Viking raiders who themselves reached Constantinople, and this is the only opportunity Stockholm will ever get to reach Konstantiniyye independent. I have no doubt that Spartak Pasha will have wanted to place Levantine Guardsmen at the gates to allow Swedes past the mighty walls easily.

"What are we going to do?" Olga asked, the Janissary Captain hoping that Fatimah and I had a plan. I swallowed my saliva out of nerves but I got to thinking, The Kingdom of Sweden had a powerful military and they were making a name for themselves as champions of the Protestant cause, pursuing the so-called dominium maris baltici, and occupying and sacking most of northern Germany regardless of religious affiliation. This aggressive foreign policy, centered around Sweden becoming a great power, has earned the Swedes a number of enemies, including the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and...The Tsardom of Russia. Tsarina Anastasia has a very particular agenda for expanding Russia, something she has made clear with her wars against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, my Ottoman Empire, and, in the future, I know she will be targeting the Hordes of Central Asia and Sweden. The Tsardom of Russia has promised that they were going to protect my borders while I rebuilt my armies, so long as The Ottoman Empire funded it that is, so between that and Russia's hostilities against The Kingdom of Sweden, perhaps Tsarina Anastasia will be willing to help us avoid this coup.

"If Spartak Pasha is going to call in foreign assistance, I don't see any option other than doing the same thing." I admitted, knowing I didn't have the manpower prepared to form an army against the Swedes. Fatimah and I could try to conscript a new army of Balkan troops, but without proper generals, commanders, and the necessary time for training, such an army would take months to be in any shape to really fight the highly professional Swedish army, especially if Prince Adolf has already agreed to accept between this section of the correspondence and anything Spartak Pasha has sent out since. That is the problem with only having seen one letter from Sweden's side, from here, I can decipher what Spartak Pasha wants and I can decipher that Prince Adolf was considering about it, but the Swedes didn't give a definitive answer in this letter, merely saying that they were thinking about it. In this case, we had to assume the worst, we had to assume that Spartak Pasha would have the full support of this Swedish Prince and his forces when he made his move. I can hope that Prince Adolf refused, realizing the logistical hurdles, but if I based my policies off of hopes and dreams, I would have lost power years ago.

I didn't like depending on The Tsardom of Russia for aid, but I didn't have any other option, not with my own logistical hurdles in the immediate aftermath of The Russo-Ottoman War, we were a defeated power and our existing armies were spread far and wide, protecting distant parts of the large Ottoman Empire. I could not move troops out of North Africa or Arabia without leaving the southern parts of my Empire vulnerable as well, therefore, I had to settle for what would allow me to keep the southern part of my Empire intact while rebuilding, letting Russia protect the northern half of my Empire in the meantime. The Tsardom of Russia wanted to defeat Sweden and, at the same time, they wanted to absorb as much Ottoman territory into Russia as possible, that is why Anastasia is protecting my borders. She does not want her descendants to rule over diminished lands, nor does she want to have to battle against the likes of Persia or Austria for these lands, she wants The Ottoman Empire to remain strong, strong enough to trounce any threat, any threat except one from The Tsardom of Russia. This is a difficult compromise in foreign policy, one which I question if my counterpart in Moscow will be able to maintain, but I am about to find out whether or not she is serious. Anastasia will need to step up and defend me if she is serious with her guarantee, regardless of whether or not either of us like this.

"Helena...is that really the wisest decision?" Fatimah asked, softly. My Grand Vizier was not doubting me, instead, she was concerned alongside me. Tsarina Anastasia totally outmaneuvered us at the negotiations at Konstantinovksaya and her protection is motivated purely because of her own self-interests, Fatimah is right to worry because we don't know just how genuine her promises of selfishness are. What if Anastasia's guarantee only counts when it suits her? What if Tsarina Anastasia does not want to send troops out again so soon after the last war? What if Anastasia does not want to provoke the Swedes before she is ready to go to war against them? The last one is particularly troublesome, after all, I have to imagine Tsarina Anastasia does not want to go to war against Stockholm until she has everything in place, including Lady Krystyna reigning over The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Russians and the Poles are already a formidable alliance, however, the Swedes are a considerable opponent, meaning that, even Anastasia needs to be patient, careful, and opportunistic when battling Sweden. Prince Adolf would be defying her guarantee and thus questioning her authority by invading The Ottoman Empire, but sending an army against a Swedish army, one headed by the Swedish Crown Prince no less, is a provocation for war, to say the least.

"I don't know," I admitted, I was uncertain with this plan myself. I didn't want to trust in the woman who had just worked hard to tear my country apart, including taking the city that I was born in, but, on the other hand, The Tsardom of Russia did promise to protect The Ottoman Empire in order to preserve their own interests, and Russia was Sweden's mightiest rival. I didn't feel good asking Anastasia for help, much less depending on her aid, but I didn't see a better plan. Spartak Pasha reached out to The Kingdom of Sweden for aid, therefore, the only chance Fatimah and I had to win, our only chance of asserting our authority and preserving my son's regency, is to reach out to an even stronger, even more vicious foreign power. Tsarina Anastasia may refuse, this may be going beyond Russia's commitments, but I had to at least try, I couldn't lose The Ottoman Empire.

* * *

Okay, this was a shorter chapter than last time but, like I said, The Ottoman Empire was pretty much ready for the climax anyway, chapter thirty-five and thirty-six will get Russia ready for the climax, then thirty-six, thirty-seven, and thirty-eight will cover the climax as Sultana Helena, Spartak Pasha, Prince Adolf, and Tsarina Anastasia all make their moves for Konstantiniyye. I do hope that, with this chapter, I managed to recapture that feel of the first Ottoman chapter, writing two protagonists has been an interesting and challenging exercise for me. I wanted to give both characters their own themes, situations, and stories that intersect, and, while I feel I struggled with differentiating them, in act three, their plots will at least feel different.

I'm not a perfect writing, but I am trying to grow and improve as one, I hope that growth and improvement has shown through the last year. I shortened my run-on sentences for example. Anyway, ciao! I love you!


	34. Crown Prince of The Vandals

Alright everyone, we are back with chapter thirty-four of Romans. As mentioned, this and the next chapter will be Russian chapters and set us up for the climax of this story, followed by two essentially epilogue chapters. One for Sultana Helena and the Ottoman plot, the other for Tsarina Anastasia and the Russia plot, sorry about any misleading typos in the author's note at the end of the last chapter, my fault. In any case...

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Vandals and The Civilizations.

Chapter XXXIV.

Crown Prince of The Vandals.

* * *

"Of course, my Tsarina," Countess Maryana bowed, the Serbian born woman from Transylvania, in addition to serving as my new Minister of the Interior, proved to have some other uses. Her connections in the Balkans and her knowledge of the Serbian language meant that, along with the Patriarch of Moscow, she was assigned to finding candidates for the new Autonomous Patriarchates of Serbia and Bulgaria for me to approve. These new Orthodox Churches would spread Russian influence to the Balkans and lay the buildings blocks for Russia's future. Perhaps Serbia and Bulgaria can one day become parts of Russia, perhaps they can become allies and borderline vassals in the vein of Lady Krystyna's planned states to the west, or simply exist as a thorn in The Ottomans' side, an internal risk diverting resources from the Russo-Turkish borderlands. This is a long term plan regardless, for now, the Balkan and Orthodox populations within The Ottoman Empire have too much sympathy and trust in their Orthodox and ethnically Greek regent, but that won't last forever. As the rulers in Constantinople grow more and more distanced from Sultana Helena and they become more and more Turkish, Russian influence in Serbia and Bulgaria will only grow.

"Perhaps we should move to stake a claim on the Orthodox Serbian population, after all, it is only a matter of time until Lady Krystyna moves to recreate Hungary's borders. I very much believe that woman would use the most liberal definition of those borders as possible." Countess Natalia, my Foreign Minister, suggested. Her station and her ties to Terezia meant that she was well aware of our plans for the Polish noblewoman, including those which included The Lands of The Hungarian Crown. These lands include The Kingdom of Croatia and the city of Belgrade, known as Nandorfehervar to the Hungarians, however, Hungary held influence over and had vassals in Bosnia, Serbia, Wallachia, and Moldavia. The latter of which was already in Krystyna's future Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but the rest were either ruled by or ruled for The Ottomans. These areas were diverse, with Orthodox, Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, and even Protestant populations scattered throughout, that made it quite difficult to make land claims based on groups of people, as the people were scattered amongst each other, however, limiting Lady Krystyna was also essential. As much as I wanted her to spread Russian influence far and wide, I hardly wanted her to become powerful enough that she could oppose my Tsardom of Russia.

"Thank you Natasha, though there is also The Ottoman Empire to consider. They were humiliated in this war, nevertheless, they presented more of a challenge than the Poles and Lithuanians previously. Sultana Helena and Lady Fatimah are far too intelligent to allow their country to stagnate as further threats loom on the horizon." I pointed out, though making sure that Natalia - more commonly, though perhaps less professionally referred to by the more personal Natasha - understand that I was not demeaning her opinion, I very much appreciated her advice. Natasha, perhaps as a result of frustration over her earlier failure to secure the fate of The Livonian Order, has revealed herself to be a rather cunning and cutthroat Foreign Minister. She is pragmatic, she has already seen who is and who is not cooperative throughout Europe, and, at the same time, she is aware that consistent and lasting ties have a long term value than can outweigh immediate usefulness. She is a good woman and she will serve me well as a Foreign Minister, however, in this case, I feel that even Lady Krystyna will not be able to trigger a systematic collapse of The Ottoman Empire on a wide enough scale to take more than the already impressive landmass that is Ottoman Hungary, Croatia, and Belgrade. Lady Krystyna is a very ambitious and beautiful woman, but she will have heirs and a legacy as well. It is more important to her to establish as many realms as possible and ensure their stability than it is for her to create a handful of particularly large realms only to see them divided up upon her death.

"Perhaps you are right, my liege, I am merely trying to extend direct Russian influence as far as we can." Natasha acquiesced, presenting a valid point. Lady Krystyna would be spreading Russian influence, but she would be spreading Russian influence after it has already gone through a Polish filter, or a Bohemian filter, or a Hungarian filter, etcetera, etcetera, meanwhile, these Autonomous Patriarchates will be a tool for the Patriarch of Moscow to apply religious pressure directly upon our Slavic brothers and sisters in the Balkans. That being said, with The Ottoman Empire still titanic and relatively stable, it was hardly like we were in a position to carve them up entirely, we could merely plot and scheme over border regions for the time being, all of which will eventually add up to Russia's ambition along the Black Sea, in the Balkans, and into the Central Asia. In any case, with Countess Maryana presiding over it, I'm sure our influence over the Serbs and Bulgarians will steadily grow, all the while, Natasha will orchestrate our grander foreign policy goals. In the meantime, my sister, Sofiya, and her suitor, Prince Christopher, joined Natasha, Yelizaveta, and I in the throne room. This courtship indicative of one of said foreign policy goals: containing Sweden.

Prince Christopher was the ideal candidate for Sofiya's husband, not only did she seem smitten with him already, but he was from the Danish royal family, which meant that he had the necessary status and prestige for such a marriage, and that the marriage would secure an important alliance for the two of us. The fact that Christopher was not meant to inherit, merely govern lands within Denmark's German holdings, also meant that we could secure a matrilineal succession. I wanted my heirs to be Rurikids, not Oldenburgs. The House von Oldenburg was old, prestigious, and ruling a relatively major European power, nevertheless, I did not think that it was worthy of ruling Russia, they, of course, would disagree, but that is beside the point. A Russian dynasty was the dynasty meant to rule Russia, even if Rurik himself was a Viking raider from Sweden, the fact is, our dynasty has ruled the Russian lands for centuries in one form or another. The House Rurikovich survived The Mongol Hordes, I was not willing to throw that away because inheritance has traditionally favored men and a German dynasty would like to spread its Danish branch to Russia. All parties were interested in this marriage, but it was now my mission to secure my version of this marriage.

"My Tsarina," Christopher let go of Sofiya's hand for a mere moment to bow before me, my little sister did not, for she was a Tsarevna and my trusted family. I gave a polite smile and a nod at the Danish Prince and allowed him to continue. The admittedly handsome and gentle redheaded man - I still did not find him at all attractive, but I did understand how those features could appeal to Sofiya, his somewhat feminine features certainly did not hurt - has been almost inseparable from little Sophie, the two clearly in love. Prince Christopher, with permission, continued his speech "I must thank you for allowing me to court young Sofiya, I have become absolutely smitten with her and I hope she feels the same way about me. I am honored to be with her and, with your permission, I would like to ask her if we can bring this courtship to the next state. I would like to ask her to marry me."

"What would be the terms of this engagement?" I asked, somewhat coldly, trying to ignore Sofiya's beaming smile at Christopher's question. Yelizaveta, meanwhile, standing at the side of my throne, made eye contact with Sophie, focusing directly on our younger sibling and ensuring her that we only have the best intentions when bringing up politics. I admit that I want this to end in a marriage, however, as I have explained, I want a very particular version of the marriage. Prince Christopher, not taken aback and clearly expecting this question, was ready to give an answer, however, before he could, the doors of the throne room opened and a messenger rushed in. I raised a hand and Prince Christopher stood, moving off to the side with his soon-to-be fiancee, this matter would have to wait, wait until after this urgent news. I gave the messenger permission to speak.

"My Tsarina, I bring news from the border. Prince Adolf Vasa of Sweden has written from Vyborg, he says that he has taken his army to Vyborg from The Siege of Bremen, if you would allow him passage, he intends to cross your territory into The Ottoman Empire. Prince Adolf admires your brilliant victory over the Turks and he wishes to capitalize on the opportunity. If you would allow him to cross through The Tsardom of Russia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, he will reward you a percentage of the loot his army receives from the sacking of Constantinople." The messenger reported. I was shocked, the Prince of Sweden, the future King Adolf II, a man who will be my enemy in the very near future, is now sending a messenger with false praise to beg for passage through my lands. The man made no secret of the fact he was a blatant opportunist, stating that he has brought his army out of Sweden's war against the Catholics of Germany in order to raid a defenseless Ottoman capital. I considered this a blatant insult, not only did Prince Adolf blatantly ignore my guarantee of the Turkish border, not only did Prince Adolf send a mere messenger to my court, rather than appearing in person or, at very least, writing an official letter, but Adolf spit in my face by taking advantage of a situation I created and only offering me a portion of his theoretical pillaged goods as a payment.

"Why is Prince Adolf not here himself?" Yelizaveta asked, my sister balling up her fists and keeping her voice cold, barely hiding her anger. My little sister cared about me, cared about my image, and would make herself care about politics when necessary. That is why I loved her, that is why I am glad to see us growing back together again, back to where we were prior to my mistake. I may not regret sleeping with Lady Krystyna at Konstantinovskaya, though I recognize that I should, but I do regret the damage it did to my relationship with Yelizaveta. Perhaps it is very wrong of me to want an incestuous relationship to succeed, but Liz is right, I find myself unable to care. I find myself thrilled when I see her grow defensive of me, I find myself reminded of that night in the tent so long ago when we were overcome with passions and desires, where we acted when we should not have, and I find myself very much aware that we're finally in The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace. There is nothing holding us back anymore, merely my own mistakes. Mistakes we seem to have made progress in spite of.

"I...I do not know, my Tsarevna." The messenger admitted, quaking in fear that we would, perhaps literally, shoot the messenger. I suppose that it is not entirely an unfounded fear, European monarchs have been known to dish out their power cruelly and Russia is no exception to that rule, in fact, Russia may be the cruelest of all of us. The fact that Russian rulers have worn the title "the Terrible" with pride is proof of that, hell, I named a city Groznaya after myself, literally being the feminine form of terrible. I was not going to waste a perfectly good bullet on a messenger, after all, said bullet could be used on the Swedish Prince himself. I should not think such a thing, after all, I may have defeated The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Ottoman Empire, but The Kingdom of Sweden is another challenge entirely. I cannot provoke the greatest fighting force in Europe before I am prepared, especially not doing something as brazen and forbidden as killing a Prince. Such a move would alienate all of Europe, even Prince Christopher, a man who saw his titles lost to a Swedish supported German, would have to call of the wedding, killing a Prince in cold blood was simply not how Europe functioned. That being said, that did not mean I was going to allow Prince Adolf through, not now, he would have to come ask me in person, where I would have the satisfaction of refusing him in person.

"I know why Liz, it is because Prince Adolf, for all his bravery and all his daring raids into Germany, is a coward. His father has conquered Bohemia while Prince Adolf cannot even capture Bremen, therefore, the Prince wants to adventure all the way to Constantinople in search of glory. He knows he is pathetic, he knows he is inadequate, and meeting me, a mere woman, who defeated The Ottoman Empire, would only make him look even more worse. He needs to pass through my lands and he needs the vulnerable state I have left Constantinople in, but he cannot handle the reminder that this whole adventure is only possible because of me. Tell him that, messenger, tell him that my Russia is not a state which rewards cowardice. I have accompanied my troops into battle as far away as Warsaw and Baghdad, if he is truly brave, he shall journey to my court itself." I replied, my voice thick with poison. This was a provocation, but not the kind of provocation that would justify a war. Forcing Prince Adolf to come all the way to Moscow only to say no just as brutally would be another provocation, but I could get away with that as well. Europe would know that I do not fear Sweden, but Sweden would not be able to justify a war on that alone. I would rally my allies behind me and humiliate Sweden, all the while, there would be no war until I was ready.

"Of course, my Tsarina," the messenger made a shaky bow before scampering off, fearing me more than he feared his Swedish master. That fact alone already confirms what I had just said - Prince Adolf is desperate to match or exceed his father, but in reality, he is pathetic, his threats are impotent, and he is not Adolphus Rex - Sweden will be a formidable foe, but the Swedish Prince is not as strong as his country. I glanced around my court, I was an absolutist, but I was not a fool, I knew I was surrounded by significant and intelligent people and I must consider their opinions and advice. I glanced at Yelizaveta first, seeing my sister smiling, fully supportive of me, as always, she is a very smart and capable woman, but her love for me makes her opinion biased. I glanced at Natasha next, seeing the Orthodox Countess somewhat nervous, she used to be a Lutheran woman trying to save her country from Sweden, her concern was noteworthy, however, there was also the very real possibility that she is simply used to seeing Sweden as the invincible enemy. I saw Sofiya next, she started out amused and impressed by my speech, however, she grew more concerned when she saw the man on her arm, Prince Christopher, frown and grow very ponderous.

"You are a fascinating woman, Tsarina Anastasia, but The Kingdom of Sweden is dangerous. I know Prince Adolf and I can tell you this, there may be fear there, but there is also arrogance, and he can support some of that arrogance. Watch this man, he is a threat." Prince Christopher eventually warned, I took this as quite ominous. The fact that Prince Christopher lost his lands in Holstein-Gottorp means that, much like Natasha, he may be unnecessarily paranoid, however, his position as a Danish Prince and the loss of those lands to a Swedish supported candidate means that Prince Christopher also has a greater understanding of the Swedes. I was not going to allow Prince Adolf and his army to pass through Russian lands and I did not approve of his plan to pillage The Ottoman Empire, but perhaps I would be more forgiving and polite in person, gently refusing the Crown Prince of Sweden. The man was behaving like a vandal, wishing to nip at the heels of a desperate and fragile failed Roman state, but he is a vandal with an army of vandals at his back, an army which could be unleashed upon Russia, the true Third Rome.

* * *

I saw on a couch in my new Palace, sitting across from Countess Yekaterina as Sophie and her fiance walked past. I found it curious to watch Yekaterina's longing gazes and obvious pining for her friend and my sister. At first, I thought Sofiya was oblivious to all this, as she was clearly happy with Prince Christopher, however, as time went on, I found that Sofiya met those gazes with some of her own. I was well aware at this point that the former Englishwoman turned Russian Minister of Economics shared my sexuality, however, Sophie was attracted to men, and I remember, all those years ago, that my younger sister was downright shocked when I revealed my homosexuality to her. Perhaps Sofiya has simply grown curious after spending so much time around Yelizaveta and I, perhaps she is just now realizing that she is attracted to both genders, or perhaps she is simply feeling complicated feelings over Yekaterina. A woman is a fickle person, Sofiya could find Yekaterina beautiful, she could enjoy kissing her, she could even orgasm with Yekaterina's mouth on her clit, and, that whole time, Sophie could be a primarily heterosexual woman all along. Of course, that is a theoretical, but there is definitely something between Tsarevna Sofiya and Countess Igorevna.

"You want to be more than friends." I voiced my thoughts, it wasn't a question. Yekaterina's eyes widened, if only slightly, before she recovered quickly. The Countess remained silent, but the blush on her ivory skin gave all the answer I needed. I was not surprised, after all, I was well aware that the woman Terezia gathered were practically handpicked to fall in love with my little sister, but the problem is, Yekaterina wasn't one of those women and Sofiya is the wrong younger sister. The Englishwoman is a lesbian as well, since evidently, I can summon the greatest court in Europe but I cannot get anyone in that court to actually reproduce and spread their brilliance, but now, she was in love with Sophie, who, in turn, was in love with Prince Christopher, yet, she also seemed to have some sort of feelings for Yekaterina in turn. Romantic drama was far more amusing when it wasn't directly affecting my life.

"I do," Yekaterina admitted with a sigh "I know she is being married and, believe me, I understand that she is responsible for continuing the dynasty as the only one of you three willing to stomach a man, but I cannot help but think if things were different...I know she feels something for me. I don't know if she feels the same way about all women, but I know with all my heart that something is possible between the two of us."

"It is. You must accept that Sofiya has to be married, has to have sex with Christopher, and give birth to our heirs, but, beyond that, you could be her anonymous mistress. You could be affectionate with her in private, with myself of Tsarevna Yelizaveta, around Countess Kukeinos, Countess Knyazeva, Countess Hagerloh, Isabella Theresa, or Malgorzata, no one else is to know of this. Prince Christopher in particularly may not know, as this affair could hurt the marriage and thus damage my line of succession, understood?" I laid out the terms very specifically. I wanted my little Sophie to be happy, and if that happiness meant that she wanted to be married to a man and have an affair with a woman at the same time, then so be it. I simply needed Sofiya and Yekaterina to mind the political considerations of The House Rurikovich. Of course, Sofiya's own considerations needed to be taken into account, but, as a decent person, Yekaterina was more than aware of that, if Sofiya truly wanted this, then so be it, if not, she would have a happy and monogamous marriage with Prince Christopher. I saw no flaw here, either than Countess Igorevna breaking her own heart during all this.

"Of course, my Tsarina," Yekaterina nodded and bowed, showing her gratefulness before getting up and chasing after Sophie and her future husband, likely approaching as Sofiya's newest friend and subtly trying to get a private moment, an excuse to move things further. I was somewhat interested to see how all this develops, if for no other reason than to see exactly what there is to Sofiya's sexuality. I sat on that couch awhile longer, simply thinking, before I saw Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani enter this room. The Indo-Persian noblewoman wore a blue and gold dress with a matching headscarf as she walked over to the couch I was sitting on, the tired woman sitting down next to me. I looked through the window of the Palace, seeing a growing group of tents in the empty space behind the bureaucratic building named after my mother. This temporary camp, as mentioned the basis for a future orientalist district of Moscow, was also becoming the basis of Yasamin's future Bahmanid Sultanate. Persian ministers, Turkic generals, and Indian bureaucrats.

There has, of course, been some backlash to an accumulation of foreigners and heathens in Moscow, within walking distance of the Palace no less, but I consider that a necessary sacrifice. There may be some outrage and the Church may not be pleased, however, Russia will benefit strongly from an ally in India, receiving a permanent trade partner - a partner to fill Moscow with manufactured goods, spices, and textiles - and denying lands to the European trade powers capable of actually reaching India at this stage. I will have an alliance with the dominant power of southern India, the state which reigns across the Deccan, and I will ensure they are capable of fighting against England, The Netherlands, France, Portugal, or any other European power. These may be Shia Muslims in an Orthodox Christian country, but they are Shia Muslims who shall be useful, not to mention the fact that they will, eventually, leave and end up on the southern end of Asian continent, far away from The Tsardom of Russia's lands in Europe and Siberia.

"Building a state from scratch can be exhausting." Yasamin admitted, a smile on her face. I had to admit, I may have expanded The Tsardom of Russia considerably, taking Byelorussia and Ruthenia entirely, and more recently, Crimea and the Caucasus, but I have done so working from an established state. The Tsardom of Russia has existed for a hundred years and, before then, the Russian state of The Grand Principality of Muscovy reigned supreme over these lands. My father began my modernization reforms with the military, creating the conditions for my conquests to begin with. I could not even take credit for expanding the presence of women in the Russian court, as my father is the one who allowed me to take the throne when he failed to produce a male heir. I have done great things as a ruler, producing a very powerful, very desirable state, but I have never built a great power from nothing. Yasamin has nothing but her connections in Persia and the fact a Bahmanid Sultanate existed centuries prior.

Lady Krystyna will be similarly hampered. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is the only one of her targeted states that truly exists, though even then, with its backward electoral monarchy, Magnate warlords with their own personal armies, and effectively reduced to half its size, she will still have a considerable amount of work to do to make Poland a modern realm. Bohemia, meanwhile, only exists as part of the Habsburg realms, it does not have any actual state infrastructure, all of that is centered around Vienna in Austria, therefore, she will have to build the government there just as Yasamin is doing for her Sultanate. The Principality of Transylvania can serve as a basis for her Kingdom of Hungary, but even then, Transylvania is only a small part of Hungary, meaning that Gyulafehervar will hardly be a centralized and effective capital for her state. The Kingdom of Naples, should Krystyna pursue her ambitions all the way to southern Italy, is similarly problematic. Naples is the seat of a Spanish Viceroy, but that is not a true government, not a government befitting an independent Kingdom. Krystyna no doubt intends to breath life into Naples a way unseen since the peak of the Renaissance, she will need a much more powerful and effective government to accomplish that then the decentralized, Viceregal branch of the Spanish government in place over the Mezzogiorno.

"I can only imagine. How goes it?" I admitted before asking Yasamin of her progress. I was quite interested in seeing the struggles that Yasamin and Krystyna will have to go through in detail, to truly create a new state is something fascinating. Yasamin wants to end the constant fighting, invasions, and shifts in power that have occurred in India, therefore, a pillar of her regime is stability, stability means everything needs to be accounted for and in place before any troops actually march across the Deccan. If she fails to introduce proper stability, this Bahmanid Sultanate shall fall just like the first. Perhaps The Mughals shall conquer it on their quest to dominate all of the subcontinent, or, if they fail, it shall simply be yet another Persian or Afghan invasion from the north, just like countless others which have affected India over the past few centuries. Perhaps Vijayanagar, the City of Victory, shall successfully rise up and be the one to crush Yasamin, but if not her, than it shall simply be another wealth southern Indian state that rises up, perhaps one based in Mysore or from the Tamil country. Stability is the one thing the Indian states lack and that lack of stability is what has allowed Europeans to gain a foothold, Yasamin's mission is to change that and, due to my political concerns in Europe, it is my mission to support her, because, if I cannot have India, no one can.

"I found a Grand Vizier in the form of Ziya al-Din ibn Hussein, a Mughal defector in the form of Jahangir Muhammad Khan, and an interesting Afghan and Marathi woman by the name of Zahida bint Sikandar Ghazni al-Ahmednagar, so it is a good start, the problem is getting everything else together and putting the actual conquest into motion." Yasamin explained. It certainly seemed like a good start, this Ziya al-Din would serve as her second-in-command, he would help her orchestrate the conquest and the help her administer the actual state. The Mughal defector, Jahangir, would provide inside knowledge of The Mughal Empire, helping Yasamin subvert her main Islamic opponent in India. As for Zahida, well, I imagine the fact she was a woman brave enough to come out here to be a part of this, coming from a similar mixed background as Yasamin, would be enough to catch my ally's interest, though I am sure she will find her place as an actually useful figure as well. I am certainly not one to judge anyone over filling a court with like-minded women, regardless of actual reasoning. This is indeed a good start, but four important figures does not make a government, not even when accounting for all the others in the camp Yasamin did not mention, the fact is, there is still a long way for this woman to go and her Bahmanid Sultanate is far from complete. She has only the beginnings of a government, no actual land, and is on a different continent than her proposed realm, nevertheless, I am certain that she will make it happen.

"There is plenty left to do, I admit, but you have my support Yasamin." I smiled at her, truthful in my statement. Yes, I was supporting this plan primarily because it suited my political interests and could weaken my enemies' potential, but I also considered Yasamin my friend now, and I wanted to see the Indo-Persian woman succeed and establish her state in southern India. It was an interesting friendship, one of circumstance - she knew Russian because she grew up in Yerevan, I came across her because I was conquering that city which had since fallen to the Turks, so, in exchange for knowledge the city's defenses and weaknesses, she gained a place to build her state - and I would never be able to hold a conversation with those officials she mentioned, for they likely conducted business in Persia, but we were the same in a way. We were intelligent and capable women doing what our father's could merely dream of. Our mutual political goals, our friendship, and our similarity meant that I was happy to fund her, give her a home, and provide her with weapons, all to create a state which most Russians would never even hear of, let alone see or visit. Russians would benefit though, not only would we receive access to trade goods, but we would create markets. Bahmanid troops would initially fight with Russian weapons, which means they would grow used to Russian cannons, firearms, and even pikes, meaning that, in the future, their armies would have to buy Russian weapons, at least in the short term until they learn to reproduce it internally.

My enemies in Europe would be up against a fortified, stable local power, Russia would have access to exotic trade goods when that market has traditionally been dominated by the Portuguese, Dutch, and now English, and that Indian power would become a market for Russian weapons, advisors, and other military goods. An ally in Indian seems like such a bizarre choice for The Tsardom of Russia, but what the common people and even some government officials do not understand is that such an ally benefits Moscow immensely, not only that, but it benefits Moscow at the expense of Lisbon, Amsterdam, and London. The moment that Portuguese ships rounded the southern tip of Africa and Spanish ships discovered a whole new world almost a century and a half ago, the scope grew from just eastern Europe and northern Asia, now, Russia's power and ambition must be measured against the rest of the world. That is why I want Lady Krystyna to spread Russian influence as far away as Naples, that is why I want an ally all the way on the Deccan Plateau, and that is why I am pushing Russia further and further east. The Pacific is not the end goal for Russia, it is merely the beginning. Once we reach the Pacific, we can build a fleet on the ocean, a fleet which shall trade with China directly, a fleet which shall explore the western edge of the Americas, and a fleet which shall pave the way for settling it as well.

* * *

"What shall be the terms of succession?" I asked, Prince Christopher, as the wedding began to materialize. I wanted a matrilineal marriage for Sofiya, meaning their children will be of The House Rurikovich, however, that is not the tradition, neither in Europe, nor in Russia, therefore, it will be a rather difficult and controversial demand to place upon the Prince of The House von Oldenburg. Fortunately, Russia being a very powerful state, far stronger than The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, there is a certain reasoning to the marriage favoring us, nevertheless, I'm not sure if that will be able to justify it. Russia is a stronger state, but The Kingdom of Sweden is the most advanced fighting force in Europe, and my wars have proven just how devastating a technological and tactical advantage can be, therefore, in my war against Sweden, Danish assistance will be invaluable. An alliance between The Tsardom of Russia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway would render Sweden basically surrounded. The Danes know their value to me in a war against Sweden, therefore, in arranging this alliance, they will no doubt try to push for their dynasty on the Russian throne. Russia, however, would be an invaluable ally for Denmark as well, especially since the Swedes and Danes are almost constantly at war, so we can push back. This will be a significant struggle over political and dynastic goals, a struggle between two countries trying to create an alliance, no less. Europe can be truly fascinating at times.

"I shall remain a Lutheran, however, the children shall be raised in Moscow and shall be Russian Orthodox. Should I retake my rightful Duchy in Holstein-Gottorp, the state shall follow male primogeniture, meaning our male children will be Dukes of Holstein-Gottorp, however, in this post, they shall be vassals to the Danish Crown, just as I would be. Russia shall get their heirs and, potentially, holdings under the Danish Crown in The Holy Roman Empire, all I ask in return is that the line follows my cadet branch, The House von Holstein-Gottorp. This way, Russia will have its own dynasty in the form of this Holstein-Gottorp dynasty, but the male preference tradition of The House von Oldenburg shall be respected." Prince Christopher explained. The Danish Prince was a clever man, explaining the arrangement in such a way where it seemed like he was the one making major concessions. Christopher would remain a Lutheran, that part I didn't care about, so long as the children are Russian Orthodox, which Christopher did agree to. Russia being in personal union with The Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp was tempting, but I wasn't sure if there would be all that much benefit to it, being under the Danish Crown limited my ability to spread my influence, influence which was already limited by Holstein-Gottorp being within The Holy Roman Empire, not to mention that this was all theoretical if we could recapture the Duchy from the Swedes to begin with. These concessions, therefore, we rather hollow, especially given the baggage they came with.

"Why should we be happy with The House von Holstein-Gottorp reigning over Russia? The House Rurikovich has reigned over the Russian lands ever since the Viking Age. Fathering children of my ancient dynasty should be a privilege." I countered, leveraging the age and prestige of my dynasty. I wanted Sofiya to be married and I wanted Prince Christopher to be her husband, but if the political terms are too extreme, perhaps Yekaterina can keep Sophie's heart in check whilst we find another candidate, perhaps that Dutchman would be willing to father Rurikid children, after all, Frederik Filips was concerned that his descent from Dutch Stadtholders would not be enough to win over Russia. I did not want to have to do that, but I had to be willing to let go of this seemingly ideal arrangement if it meant compromising Russia's future. The House Rurikovich is an ancient dynasty and a Russian dynasty must reign over Moscow.

"You and I both know this isn't about The House Rurikovich or The House von Oldenburg, it really boils down to Russia being in the hands of your family, within your influence. Think of The House von Holstein-Gottorp as neither Rurikovich nor Oldenburg, they're Russian, they're Russian Orthodox, and they're in Moscow, does it really matter what the name is or where it comes from?" Prince Christopher replied, once again, displaying a smooth skill with politics. On one hand, this skill and subtle manipulation is something I want spreading to my descendants, on the other hand, I don't take kindly to it being used against me. The fact is, yes, even if the dynasty is called Holstein-Gottorp, that doesn't really make it Danish or German, the members of the dynasty are Russian, and, in some ways, I suppose that does make it a Russian dynasty. That does not make me satisfied.

"And you and I both know you are pushing this for your own image, so how about this, your children will be of The House von Holstein-Gottorp, your lineage, however, since those children will be in Russia, speak Russian, and follow the Russian faith, their children will warrant a new dynasty. For you and Sophie's grandchildren, you may think of it as a cadet branch of a cadet branch, I may think of it as a whole new dynasty." I proposed, bridging our concerns together. Prince Christopher would get his children of The House von Holstein-Gottorp and, for their grandchildren, I will get my purely Russian dynasty. This is imperfect, as it does not give me my House Rurikovich, but it is the best solution I can think of when it comes to keeping a Russian dynasty on the throne despite going through the female line. As for what the dynasty will be called, that is a matter for the future. This is not ideal for either Moscow or Copenhagen, but that is necessary for a compromise, it is not ideal, but it is good enough that both sides can be satisfied with this dynastic arrangement.

"That is acceptable." Prince Christopher accepted, both of us signing the terms of the marriage. The political side was satisfied, now, all there was left to do was for Christopher to actually propose to Sofiya and marry her, fathering the heirs. The House von Holstein-Gottorp would reign over Russia, but only for a generation, then a new, distinctly Russian, dynasty would emerge. This was a bittersweet moment, as this meant that Yelizaveta and myself will be the final rulers of The House Rurikovich, ending the ancient legacy. I suppose that may not be so bad, The House Rurikovich may be ending, but I cannot think of a greater way for our dynasty to end than for Russia being expanded in every direction, with our influence spreading deep into Europe and into southern India of all places, and with Moscow filled with brilliant minds and fascinating foreign thinkers. Perhaps a new dynasty won't be so bad for Russia, symbolizing that The House Rurikovich has reached its zenith and Russia has entered a whole new era, completely and utterly free of the Tatar yoke, never again in danger of losing a war against The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and now at the heart of European politics rather than on the periphery.

* * *

Yelizaveta and I stood on a balcony of our Palace, overlooking White Square. In the distance, a freshly married Prince Christopher and Tsarevna Sofiya left Saint Sofiya's Cathedral, followed by the Patriarch of Moscow, at the head of a grand procession back to The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace. Flanking the procession, The Russian Imperial Army stood at attention, their movements orchestrated by General Mikhailovich and Isabella Theresa. The general had been reluctant to work with the Austrian noblewoman, however, they seem to have formed a working arrangement, most likely a result of the fact that, the general, despite his questioning of my absolutism and decisions, does respect me. Regardless of how the two work together, our military functioned as an excellent show of force. Our troops, newly outfitted with green coats over red, gold, and purple uniforms, meant to celebrate our increasing modernity, our victory over The Ottoman Empire, and our role as the Third Rome. The addition of purple dye, even as the least plentiful color, for all our troops, was also meant to symbolize our vast wealth. Europe sees Russia as a backwards and poor land, and, to a degree, it is, but we can change that perception by commonly flaunting the rare Roman Imperial color. Purple appeared again in the ribbons flown beneath the Russian banners. A now permanent addition that shall symbolize this great era of Russian history.

"There is the Danish delegation," Yelizaveta spotted the red and white Nordic cross of The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway joining the procession. An ambassador, a Lutheran priest, a few minor relatives of Prince Christopher, and a number of pages and assistants. They were here to observe the wedding, ratify the alliance, and also send the regards of the Danish King. The combined forces of Denmark in the west, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the south, and The Tsardom of Russia in the east will leave The Kingdom of Sweden surrounded, an impressive shield against their forces and a mighty group of enemies to field against them. Sophie and Christopher will accompany that delegation back to Copenhagen, there, they shall be married in the Lutheran tradition as well, Sofiya shall send our thanks to the Danes, and they shall consummate their marriage before returning to Moscow. I'm grateful that Sofiya will get the chance to travel abroad, as, while Yelizaveta and I have gotten the chance to see cities like Kiev, Warsaw, Tiflis, and Yerevan - albeit during wars and sieges - Sofiya has spent all this time at Moscow. Now, part of that is her choice, but still, I want her to experience the world outside of Russia.

"I've had Natasha, Yekaterina, and Maria working hard on impressing them." I told Liz, choosing those particular Countesses for a reason. Countess Kukeinos, being of a Baltic German and Lutheran background, will know how to appeal to their religious tastes and some of their customs, Countess Igorevna, coming from English gentry, gives another perspective on western European Protestant customs, and finally, Countess Hagerloh, while born Catholic and in Swabia, was married in Protestant Lubeck. Maria, being so close to Denmark, might even know some of these delegates, meaning these three were right for the job. Countess Knyazeva, coming from an Orthodox Serbian background, growing up in Catholic Transylvania, and, as far as I can tell, never spending any significant time in a Lutheran court, was talented, but not quite suited for the role. Isabella Theresa came from Catholic Austria and failed to join the Lutheran court of Heidelberg, was preoccupied with the show of force outside anyway. Malgorzata, finally, spent most of her time as a de facto Polish diplomat with her brother in Catholic countries. Lady Grzeskiewicz did spend some time in a few Protestant courts, but not nearly to the same degree as the three chosen Countesses. It is an immense relief to have such a talented court that I can properly delegate these things. I have absolute control, but I have absolute control through these talented women.

"Speaking of impressive, the coward just walked into the lion's den." Yelizaveta pointed out, some shock clear in her voice. I turned and was shocked too as I saw a small Swedish force march down White Square. Tension filled the square as thousands of Russian soldiers stared down a group of twenty elite Swedish bodyguards surrounding Crown Prince Adolf, a translator, and a few attendants. I glanced over at Yelizaveta and, with no more spoken words, the two of us rushed down to the throne room. I, admittedly, did not expect Adolf to make it to Moscow so soon, in fact, I was fairly certain he wasn't bold enough to show up here at all after that cold refusal I gave his messenger, nevertheless, I was going to handle Prince Adolf exactly as I had intended. All Adolf had accomplished by coming to Moscow so soon was getting intimidated by the new Russian army. I was still going to refuse him entry and I was still going to flaunt Russia's power. Sweden is our enemy, not our ally, not our friend, therefore, I will not take kindly to an accidental slight by the Swedish Crown Prince and I will not allow Swedish troops to cross my lands to sack a Constantinople I rendered defenseless.

I sat down in my throne and Yelizaveta took her usual position at my side, a concerned Sofiya rushing over to us, clearly not happy that a Swede decided to crash her wedding day. That moment, as the three Russian sisters gathered together in front of the golden double-headed eagle engraved in the wall behind the throne, Prince Adolf was escorted into the throne room, flanked by the palace guards. Adolf's Swedish escort was forced to wait outside, the bodyguards no doubt quaking under the gaze of the entire Russian Imperial Army, the ones who waged war from Warsaw to Baghdad, up against a mere twenty Swedes. The palace guards brought the Prince into the center of the room and crossed their pikes in front of him, showing him that he will not be accepted until I give permission. All of this was designed to show my authority and to diminish his status as a foreign prince.

"Prince Adolf may be allowed in." I called, watching the guards uncross their weapons, allowing the Prince to enter. Adolf's blond hair was tied back into a pony tail, he wore a curving mustache and a goatee on his face, blond eyebrows over blue eyes. His complexion matched the colors of Sweden, repeated in his clothes. Adolf wore a blue and white coat, a yellow vest, and a white tunic below. His white tights were tucked into black boots. Prince Adolf was dressed as a typical Swedish royal, possessing a militaristic fashion, no doubt that was supposed to be a show of force on his part, unfortunately, with his timing, it landed flat. Prince Adolf was about to approach me when his eyes darted off to the corner of the throne room, where a freshly married Prince Christopher stood. The Dane met his gaze and, soon enough, the two were circling one another. The endless rivalry between their states, Christopher losing Holstein-Gottorp, and the shock of seeing one another all weighed heavily in the air. There was a reason why Prince Christopher warned me about Prince Adolf, the fact is, the two men truly hate one another and, here they are, circling each other like wolves in my throne room.

"Christopher? Why are you here? Begging for aid to get your Duchy back?" Prince Adolf barked, already mocking Prince Christopher over the Holstein-Gottorp issue. The Kingdom of Sweden supported a local German noble for that Duchy's throne to destabilize Denmark. Holstein-Gottorp, a long term vassal state and junior partner of Denmark, would now, no doubt, side with Sweden in wars, meaning that the Danes would have to face a three front war against the Swedes. Stockholm would attack west into Norway from Sweden, south into Denmark from Scania, and north into Jutland from Holstein-Gottorp. That was, at least, Sweden's goal, things will go much more differently with Russian and Polish forces joining in to aid the Danish.

"No, Adolf, I am here because I am married. My wife, Tsarevna Sofiya Aleksandrovna Rurikovich." Prince Christopher introduced my younger sister, trying to sound civil, however, looking deeper into the remark, I would not be surprised if it was truly a slight against the unmarried Swedish Crown Prince. Christopher and Adolf seem to right about the same age, so one being married first is a testament to their country's prestige and outside allies. Christopher being married to a Tsarevna of Russia also present a unique challenge for Prince Adolf, as the Swede's most likely wife would be a minor Lutheran German Princess. Christopher, brother to the King, destined to be nothing more than a mere vassal Duke, marrying better than the Swedish Crown Prince does not look good for Adolf, not at all. Prince Christopher is a clever man, I would not be surprised if the hidden insult was entirely intentional.

"I was unaware the custom in Russia is to marry the youngest first." Prince Adolf seemed confused at the idea, after all, it wasn't the custom, not in Russia, and certainly not in western Europe. In normal situations, I would have been married first, followed by Yelizaveta, only then would Sofiya be married, on top of that, most likely these marriages would be attempted at age sixteen in order to achieve heirs as soon as possible. In any case, in his confusion, their little game stopped, Prince Adolf turned his attention to me and Christopher, the more level-headed of the two, returned to his place next to Sofiya. I glanced at the Dane though, and I could tell he too, was thinking about this strange marriage situation. I would have to give an explanation, for no other reason that to keep these two from jumping to conclusions, conclusions which, scandalously, may approach the truth.

"I am an absolute monarch, taking a husband would only give the boyars, dvoryans, and other nobles someone to plot with, a tool to question my authority. I rule Russia alone, not with a co-monarch, not with a husband, not with a council of regents. It is just me and my underlings. Yelizaveta, is not married because she is my Tsesarevna, my heiress. She is not married because of the same political concerns. Sofiya, the youngest of us, is free to marry because, barring disaster, she will be able to simply pass the crown from Yelizaveta onto her children." I explained, this was, at least partially, truthful. This was the reason I didn't get married before Liz helped me realize my sexuality, and it made sense. Prince Christopher, seemingly, accepted this explanation, Prince Adolf, meanwhile, seemed to be thinking, no doubt trying to think of how Sweden could capitalize on this knowledge.

"Ah, I understand, you have political concerns keeping you unmarried, but, tell me this, Tsarina Anastasia: have you ever considered that being married may become politically advantageous?" I narrowed my eyes at Prince Adolf's question, an action which Tsarevna Yelizaveta no doubt replicated. I already explained why such a thing would not be politically useful, what was he playing at? Was this a desperate and brazen attempt to cause the theoretical coup I just mentioned I was actively avoiding, right under my nose? I hoped not, after all, the real truth is that, not only are Yelizaveta and I lesbians, but...well...we're attracted to each other. I sighed internally, it really does seem so much worse when I think about it that way. In any case, Liz and I had a workable excuse for remaining unmarried and, whatever Prince Adolf was about to say, it would most certainly be a transparent scheme, clearly meant to undermine Russia and strengthen Sweden. My excuse would hold up and the court would see my refusal as me seeing a Swedish plot for what it was.

"What do you mean? Surely you do not think I would marry you, after all, I just explained why I don't want to marry in general and, on top of all that, Sweden and Russia are rivals." I scoffed at the idea, was I really supposed to fall for this? I just said that taking on a Tsar-consort would just lead to the nobles plotting against me, trying to turn him into a puppet, a puppet which would likely reverse many of my attempts to centralize and modernize The Tsardom of Russia. Adolf's father occupied Bohemia, Adolf's rival Christopher married a Tsarevna, and Adolf's answer to that is a barely thought-out attempt to take the Russian throne? The Prince originally couldn't even be bothered to come here, instead sending a messenger to beg for free passage, and now, all of a sudden, he wanted to marry me? This was ridiculous, first he wants to sack Constantinople because I left it undefended, now, now he wants to marry me in order to steal Russia out from under me. Prince Adolf was not a pleasant creature, to say the least.

"Well what if I do? Russia and Sweden have overlapping claims along the Baltic, overlapping ambitions, what better way to resolve everything than a union? I shall rule Sweden, you shall rule Russia, and our children shall rule both. Of course, both countries would retain their own customs, religions, and militaries, all of that, but they would be unified, united, and at peace. The combined might of Sweden and Russia...such a force would be unstoppable, is that not what you really want after all? Is that not better than an alliance with the Danes?" Prince Adolf asked, presenting a situation which really only benefited him. Sweden may have a tremendous army, but their population is minuscule compared to Russia, prolonged conflict gives us an advantage. Having Sweden surrounded and surviving the initial onslaughts of their armies gives us an advantage, it allows Russia the chance to take the lands of The Livonian Order, to take Vyborg, and to take other lands for The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway.

"What I really want is a Russian dynasty on the throne, the rest, I can handle myself." I shot down his suggestion with a reminder of the grand deal between Prince Christopher and I, a deal which, while meaning his children will come from his cadet branch - The House von Holstein-Gottorp - keeps a Russian dynasty in power in the long term. That is something that Denmark-Norway was willing to offer that Sweden simply will not, Prince Adolf's fragile ego will not allow for The House Rurikovich reigning over Stockholm and I will not allow the Vasa to reign over Moscow. There is no workable compromise here, Sweden and Russia are two powers with overlapping ambitions, and these ambitions are too great for any form of compromise.

"As I recall, there has been a Vasa on the Russian throne be-" I cut Prince Adolf off immediately, not wanting to hear any more of that nonsense.

"That was a Wasa King of Poland who was laying siege of Moscow, declaring himself a Tsar without actually having any right to do so. I was born during that siege, a siege where the Poles were were forced to retreat after failing to take the city, and, in the resulting war, Smolensk was taken by The Tsardom of Russia. That being said, I am pleased to see you acknowledge the Catholic branch of your family, it's nice to see you come to terms with its complex history." I threw the whole thing back in his face. I did not appreciate being reminded of a time where Russia was on the brink of collapse, not after my father and I worked so hard to make a stronger, more powerful Russia. I didn't care for a mention of the Polish Wasa either, especially not after I defeated the last Wasa King of Poland in battle - well, there could be more, but I, admittedly, hope that the Wlodzislawa dynasty remains a permanent presence on the Polish throne - so instead, I opted to remind Prince Adolf of the fact that much of his family is essentially living in exile in Poland. The Wasa remaining Catholic whilst the Swedish Vasa converted to Lutheranism, much like the rest of Scandinavia. This verbal combat resulted in a tense silence.

"Wasn't this all about asking for passage through Russia?" Yelizaveta finally asked, breaking the silence and bringing us back to the topic at hand. The whole reason that Prince Adolf came here is that he wanted to move his armies through Russia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to reach The Ottoman Empire in order to raid a defenseless Constantinople. The man failed to take Bremen, stopping his campaign in western Germany in its tracks while his father, Adolphus Rex, was so successful in the east that he's already occupied all of Bohemia, so, rather than trying to rethink his strategy and attack the Hanseatic City again, this time more effectively, Prince Adolf instead went searching for easy glory. Adolf sees Constantinople defenseless without the Balkan Ordusu - how he intends to get past its mighty fortifications is beyond me - and wants to sack the city, bringing gold and riches to Stockholm as if that will make him worth his father's time. Prince Adolf doesn't understand that this isn't about gold and glory, this is about winning the war, and in abandoning Bremen, he is taking his father's reinforcements all the way to Thrace and jeopardizing the Protestant cause, leaving his father alone in Germany.

"Why yes, my apologies for my error with the messenger, Tsarina Anastasia, I see how that I insulted you. I humbly ask you for passage through your grand and vast lands, The Ottoman Empire, the mutual enemy of all Christians, is weak, you are bound by a treaty after your last war, a treaty which gave you even more lands. Sweden is not bound by any such treaty, we may do what you are honor bound not to do. I shall sack Constantinople, making the Turks suffer, and, for your kindness, I offer you half of the riches. I also promise your lands will be unharmed during our trip through your country, we shall live off of our supplies and then off of Ottoman lands, Russia will be unharmed." Prince Adolf spoke. Perhaps he was not entirely hopeless, his amended deal did show that he's learned something, now promising me half of the wealth rather than a mere portion, on top of that, I have his word that Russia will not be harmed. This arrangement is better, but that doesn't change the fact that Sweden is my enemy and I shall holdfast against them.

"No, Prince Adolf. The well being of The Ottoman Empire is in my interest, their borders are guaranteed. If I allow you to sack Constantinople, next, the Habsburgs shall take the chance to retake Hungary, strengthening their power base. Neither of us want that." I smirked as I refused him. Prince Adolf would leave Moscow empty-handed and have to either give up or find a new route to the Ottoman capital. The Ottomans were my enemy, but, right now, Sweden is more of a threat to my Russia than Sultana Helena. Speaking of, perhaps I should warn the Turkish regent...

* * *

Alright guys, this has been chapter thirty-four of The Legacy of The Romans, I hope you enjoyed. Two weeks from now, we'll be back with chapter thirty-five, the next Russia chapter and the last one before the climax. Helena will have thirty-six and thirty-seven, then thirty-eight will be a Russia chapter. Thirty-nine and forty will be epilogue chapters.


	35. Authority and Control

Hello everyone, I hope you're all staying safe and healthy amidst everything going on in the world. Here in the United States, there's a lot of unrest going on, but I don't want to talk about that here. I hope this story can give you some escapism and enjoyment out of what has been a very chaotic 2020 thus far. If you're reading this in the future, my apologies for dating the chapter, here's the actual content.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXV.

Authority and Control.

* * *

"It is a beautiful Mosque, not one you would find in India, but I don't think that was your intention, not really anyway. You wanted a Mosque that was distinctly Russian, designed in the same architectural style as the rest of your new Moscow, yet still clearly Islamic. You built four minarets, but they are not functional and, on top of that, they are shorter than the lowest turnip domes on Sankt Sofiya's Cathedral. The sermons will be in Arabic, but you will no doubt have translators and censors looking over every single sermon before a word is even spoken. You say you made the Mosque for us Shia guests of yours, but, in reality, it is a tool for controlling your Sunni subjects." Yasamin smirked, the woman showing her intelligence by immediately extrapolating my plans for the Mosque from a mere set of architectural plans. She was absolutely right, this was, ultimately, all about control. In the frontier, where I could not provide so much censorship and oversight, I rely on the Russian Orthodox Church converting the Tatars, yet here, in Moscow, where I have absolute control and authority, I seem to have had a change of heart. Yasamin saw right through that ruse and I'm not even mad about it. The woman has merely proven she is clever enough to make her Bahmanid Sultanate work. I have gained an ally in India.

"No, you are right, it is an instrument of my control and authority. It is to serve as a beacon for Russian Muslims, drawing them in from the frontier, bringing them into my grasp. This is something you should pay attention to Yasamin, I'm dealing with a minority of Tatar Muslims, you'll be up against a majority of Indian Hindus. You too will find that you have to find ways to control your heathen populations." I replied, parting my wisdom onto the ambitious Indo-Persian woman. I know for a fact that she has already accounted for that, eager to use her Kannada side to raise empathy amongst the Indians, ready to bring them into her government and bureaucracy as a gesture of good will, and no doubt well aware of their customs and traditions. Yasamin will have to do more though, especially to pacify the Hindus in the parts of her realm that are presently part of Hindu Vijayanagar, as those Indians will be accustomed to the rights, privileges, and luxuries of living under a Hindu government.

She will have to build and finance temples to earn their trust, she will have to award them certain privileges and exceptions, but she will also need to use darker, more secretive methods to control them. Censorship and observance of Hindu practices may be the way, perhaps it may be necessary to track down and assassinate the particularly vocal, and she may even have to go so far as to face revolts and armed uprisings. One of the key weaknesses of the first Bahmanid Sultanate is that there are even fewer Muslims in southern India than the north, meaning the state was increasingly reliant on foreign arrivals from Persia and elsewhere, something which alienated the few local Muslim lords as well. Yasamin faces many challenges with creating a new state, religion being just one of them. She and I have already discussed a number of those issues and we will, no doubt, discuss more of them before she finally departs on her quest.

"Indeed, I actually have a meeting with a Hindu official soon, a Mughal subject from the Marathi country hoping that my state would give his people more rights, he just arrived in Moscow yesterday. I should get going, besides, it seems you have a meeting of your own to attend to." Yasamin explained before grabbing a few of her books and documents and rushing off, meanwhile, I turned to find Lady Grzeskiewicz waiting for me. The Bahmanid woman was right, it does seem that I have a meeting to attend to. I rose to my feet as well and walked through my palace with Malgorzata, the two of us talking as we walked.

"Hello, my Tsarina, you wanted to see me?" Lady Grzeskiewicz asked, I did, indeed, ask to meet her. I was working on a bit of an advanced time table now that the situation with Sweden has escalated quickly. I refused Prince Adolf, but he has found another way to The Ottoman Empire. As his father pushing south into Franconia, having already occupied Saxony and Bohemia with the help of his Brandenburgian allies - all the while expecting his son to be leading the campaign in the west, taking Bremen and pushing on Hanover, and then to the Rhine - Adolf has crossed Brandenburg and occupied Bohemia. The man is going to cross the narrowest extent of Austrian control in Upper Hungary, and then reaching The Ottoman Empire. The Swedes will, no doubt, make short work of the Austrians against the Ottoman border by hitting them from behind their fortifications. Adolf, then, will likely impress the Ottoman border guards, who will allow him passage. Once past the fortifications along the disputed territories, nothing stands in his way to Konstantiniyye.

I wrote to Helena and, evidently, at the same time, she wrote to me. It was decided that I would enforce my guarantee, taking control of the situation personally with the newly formed Army of Crimea. Yelizaveta, meanwhile, shall serve as my regent in Moscow, as this will be a shorter journey than the prolonged conflict deep in Ottoman territory. Helena and I will coordinate our defenses at Konstantiniyye itself - apparently internal tensions within The Ottoman Empire mean that she cannot trust the city guards at this stage - stopping the Swedes from sacking the city. This serves my interests in a number of ways, one: it allows me to assert my authority, reminding Europe that I was serious about my guarantee of the Ottoman borders, two: this will damage the Swedish army at a critical moment - replacements will have to be called in from Sweden to replace the men who died in Konstantiniyye to maintain the war in Germany - meaning I will have an easier time in my future wars against Sweden, and finally: this will keep Helena in power, meaning The Ottoman Empire will survive and recover, so the Austrians and Persians won't be able to steal lands I desire. All of this is well and good, but it means that I will be away from Moscow for a few months, therefore, I want to make sure everything is finished and in place before I leave. Yelizaveta is a brilliant young woman and I trust her to handle anything that comes up in my absence exactly how I would handle it, but, while I'm still here, I want to push through the schemes I already have in progress. That includes putting my spies in place.

"Indeed Gosia," I began, using the diminutive for her name because it sounded far better than her actual name, besides, I was the absolutist monarch of all Russia and she was a friend and ally of mine, I could be informal with her if I wanted to "There is more to your assignment in Poland than I have revealed thus far. In addition to being a permanent ambassador, coordinating diplomatic relations between Moscow and Warsaw, I want you in the Polish capital as my spy. Krystyna Wlodzislawa is to be the next King of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania, I know that woman, she has the potential to completely change the political make-up of the region, and that is precisely what I want her to do, however, there are certain considerations I must make. First of all, while I do trust Krystyna and I believe exposing her to Russia during her months at Kolomenskoye will make her respect and admire this country, I have just taken Minsk, Kiev, Ochakiv, and a whole number of other territories from The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. There will no doubt be voices calling out for reclaiming and revenge in Poland, your job is to make sure I know every plot, every plotter, and every word which gets to Lady Krystyna. Second of all, I want to know where she is declaring war, against who, and when, this is simply for the sake of better coordination. I do not want to begin my campaigns against Sweden while my allies are preoccupied against the Austrians. Finally, I want to know who she puts in power as her ministers and generals, I want to understand the Polish state at every level."

"I understand your reasoning, my Tsarina, but wouldn't Lady Krystyna simply share this information with you if you asked? I'm not sure if you remember, but I was at that party you threw for her, she seems utterly devoted to you." Malgorzata replied, somewhat pensive. I suppose this isn't particularly surprising, after all, she is a Polish noblewoman and a friend of Bathory Terezia, it's no surprise that the two share a mutual friend in Lady Krystyna. I hadn't paid much attention to Krystyna's Polish friends back then, assuming they were ordinary noblewomen she happened to befriend, but, perhaps there is more to them than I had thought. As for simply asking Krystyna, yes, that would work, in fact, it would work for most things, however, the problem is - and this is something I had already touched on in my instructions to Gosia - the things which Krystyna won't tell me. If Krystyna decides that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is in a position to avenge its losses from Russia and regain its prestige, she obviously wouldn't tell me that. There is also a trust issue stemming from the toxic element of our relationship, the constant struggle for dominance and hidden political angles, I don't truly know if she _would_ tell me everything. I certainly wouldn't tell her everything she wants to know about The Tsardom of Russia, it simply isn't in the interests of a state for a foreign leader to know everything about that state.

"Her devotion will likely secure her loyalty, nevertheless, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is far from dead and under Krystyna, it will doubtlessly rise like a phoenix, leaving such a beast unsupervised is not in the best interests of Russia. Besides, we are allies, I am not asking you to perform subterfuge or undermine the state, I am simply asking you to watch Krystyna and see how her state develops. In fact, you may even serve as a conduit of good, transferring wondrous innovations from Warsaw to Moscow and vice versa, discovering processes which strengthen both states." I focused on the positive as I assured Gosia of her mission. Krystyna is working to revitalize The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and I am working to make Russia a world class country, therefore, there are developments both of us could discover or begin which may also benefit the other state, Malgorzata's role as an ambassador means that she can introduce Russian advancements to Poland, and her role as a spy guarantees Russia shall learn of Polish advancements.

"...I suppose that, if this is just about being certain of Poland's intentions, detailing their structure, and seeing how their state could benefit our own, then I can do this. That being said, perhaps we could ensure Krystyna's loyalty by making her focus on the west. Her family has links to every major dynasty that has reigned over eastern Europe over the past few centuries. The House Wlodzislawa itself is descendant from the Piast of the Duchy of Mazovia, but they also have marriage ties to the Jagiellonian dynasty, both the Polish-Lithuanian branch and the branch that came to rule over Bohemia and Hungary in the interlude between the Hussite Wars and the Habsburg inheritance. More recent marriages also tie her to the Princes of Transylvania. Let her focus on Bohemia, Transylvania, or the rest of Hungary, and you won't have to worry about her turning east to Byelorussia or the Ukraine." Malgorzata explained, trying to protect her friend with the supposed revelation of Krystyna's prestigious bloodline. Little did she know that all of this was meticulously planned out before Lady Grzeskiewicz even arrived in Moscow.

"Oh I am well aware of that, in fact, Lady Krystyna left my court to press her claims to Bohemia, taking advantage of the war between the Habsburgs and the Swedes." I smirked and revealed to Malgorzata, having already exaggerated Krystyna's claims to their maximum extent, pushing as far away as Naples simply because, at one point, the Angevin Kings of Hungary claimed Naples after the Italian Kingdom's Angevin line died out. This really was the perfect time for Krystyna to push her claims though, as Adolphus Rex is isolated in The Holy Roman Empire, his son - the man in charge of his reinforcements, meant to be taking Bremen and acting as the western bulwark of the Swedish Protestant advance - has abandoned the German lands entirely. The Habsburgs, meanwhile, are in disarray, outmatched by the Swedish King and the elite armies he brought with him. The Austrians were increasingly reliant on German mercenaries, but, with Bohemia occupied, a huge portion of the Habsburg tax base is eliminated, putting the loyalty of those mercenaries - many of whom are Protestant - in question.

"So...perhaps I should organize spies in those countries as well..." Malgorzata trailed off. I rose an eyebrow at this behavior, she went from being reluctant to expanding her own mission, I wasn't complaining though, I will gladly take advantage of such a spy network, though I do worry what will happen when Gosia realizes what she has done, by herself, and begins regretting it. That much is certainly possible given her initial reluctance, but perhaps her own ambition and need to be recognized will overshadow that, in any case, all the while, I get what I wanted: spies in Warsaw. Perhaps I shall get spies in Prague and Gyulafehervar as well, but that remains to be seen. In any case, this has given me another avenue of control, a means of knowing everything which is happening in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and acting accordingly, guaranteeing the best possible outcomes from a Russian perspective. Lady Krystyna and I could never agree on just how subservient her state will be to mine, therefore, I will use subtle, secretive means to ensure that Russia is always one step ahead, always able to contain our newfound ally to the west. Malgorzata shall serve as a conduit between Moscow and Warsaw, and Warsaw shall serve as Russia's conduit to the west.

* * *

I laid down on the side of my bed, dressed in a nightgown, looking out at the excellent baroque patterns gently painted on my walls. I was physically exhausted, having spent my day making preparations. First of all, there were those conversations I had with Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani and Malgorzata Mazura Grzeskiewicz. Second of all, I worked to establish my University of Moscow, finding the site for the campus and beginning to think of the kind of professors and teachers I wanted for that institution, the first ever university in Russia. Third of all, I had a meeting with Isabella Theresa, the two of us looking over maps of Constantinople, planning how I can best defend it with the Army of Crimea. I spent my whole day working on preparations for my absence, to the point where I'm completely out of energy, but now, my mind is still active. More thoughts, more ideas, more plans...in short, I couldn't sleep.

I sat up and looked over at the door as I saw Yelizaveta enter my room, slowly and quietly closing the door out to my office behind her. My little sister and lover, dressed only in her nightgown, rushed over to the bed, getting in with me. I smiled and laid down next to her, facing her and wrapping my arms around her as she did the same. A pair of blue-eyed, blonde-haired, and ivory skinned goddess reigning over Russia, the present and future Tsarinas of Russia. I touched my lips to hers, savoring a brilliant kiss, a moment I've waited for, for so long, enjoying the love and affection I've been missing ever since I made that damned mistake with Lady Krystyna at the royal retreat at Konstantinovskaya. I love Krystyna, or I loved her, I'm honestly not sure anymore, but I know I felt something for her, something that was poisoned by my feelings for Yelizaveta and by the inevitable separation, and then, my feelings for Krystyna almost poisoned my relationship with Liz. I don't know why I love both, I don't know if I can love two women at once, but I know now that I don't need to love two women at once. Liz is enough for me, she is my heiress, my future, my first, current, and last companion.

"You look so fulfilled," Liz giggled, taking in the expression on my face as the two of us laid on the pillows, facing each other. She was right, I was fulfilled, I had everything I could ever want - I expanded The Tsardom of Russia, I built an amazing and monumental palace, I gathered a court of like-minded and talented women in Moscow, I have laid the groundwork for a Russian university, and I am putting allies in place in both eastern Europe and southern India - but tonight, I was content to just lay here with Yelizaveta, knowing that this was all the love and all the loyalty I could ever hope for. The day that Liz and I finally make love for the first time - well the first real time, I know what we did that wonderful night in the tent is, by all means, a sexual experience - will be fantastic, but that can wait, it can all wait. Right now, for perhaps the first time as Tsarina of Russia, I am fulfilled.

"I am, my authority is at its peak, I reign over the greatest and strongest Russian state in history, and I have the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms, ready to fall asleep with you." I said it and it was true, being with Yelizaveta, the woman who will serve as my regent, quelled my thoughts. I had nothing to worry about when I was gone from Moscow, because there is no one I trust more to rule in my place than my heiress. I will finish the plans I have before I go, but there is no need to worry about anything else, after all, I will have the same capable heiress, the same capable women like Countess Yekaterina and Countess Natalia, and the same capable bureaucracy I set up in Russia. My greatest accomplishment, I believe above all else, is that I created a powerful state that shall live on after I die, my Tsardom of Russia will live longer than I will, longer than any of us. Yelizaveta's regency will no doubt be successful, and that success will prove that my Tsardom of Russia is a state that shall be permanent. At the beginning of my reign, Moscow was under siege and Kiev had been out of Russian hands for centuries, but now, Moscow is being expanded in brilliant whites and golds and Russian rule over Kiev has been restored.

* * *

The next morning Liz and I held each other, eyes closed, and shared long, lazy kisses. I had one arm around her as our lips touched while the other trailed over the smooth, porcelain skin of her thigh, rendered bare as the fabric of her nightgown was pushed out of the way. Yelizaveta, meanwhile, had both arms wrapped around my neck and rubber her legs against mine, long ivory limbs tangled in one another. I slid my thumb across her thigh and towards my own leg, my whole body tingling as a wave of pleasure hit me, amplified by the fact that I knew she felt it too. I recoiled backwards for a moment, enjoying the stimulation, drowning in infinite pleasure. I decided that it was time for more. I got up and lowered Yelizaveta down so that she was laid down flat on the bed. I pulled my nightgown up to give me more room to move before straddling Liz. I leaned down and gave her a light kiss before hovering over her, waiting for permission.

"Yes Nastya, yes..." Yelizaveta managed, allowing me to slowly pull her nightgown up, exposing more and more of her body bit by bit. I shivered with anticipation as Yelizaveta angled her hips up towards me, giving me clearance to slide her nightgown up over her ass, exposing the neatly trimmed tuft of blonde hair, followed by the flat stomach growing narrow at her waist. I pushed her nightgown further up, my thumbs trailing over her nipples as I pulled the nightgown off over her arms and head. I leaned back and simply observed her naked beauty while Liz's arms, now free of the nightgown, trailed up the back of my thighs and reached my ass, the fabric of my nightgown pooling just above her fingers. I was suddenly very happy that we waited until the morning to make love, I wanted to see everything I felt in broad daylight, for at least the first time we made love, I didn't want to do it at night.

The bed was indirectly lit, after all, the curtains around the bed stopped direct sunlight, but it was certainly bright enough that I could remark on my sister's pale, blonde body in all its glory. My hands followed suit, finding her sides and trailing up, coming up to her breasts, feeling the weight of them in my hands, feeling the gentle whimper escape Liz's lips and reverberate off the curtains. This was bliss, heavenly bliss. I felt her nipples in between my fingers and saw her blue eyes flutter over with pleasure, but I saw something else in those half-opened eyes, I saw a deep, primal hunger. I'm sure that the same feeling could be found in my own eyes, eyes hungry for every inch of that divine skin below me, I leaned down again, kissing my little sister. I parted her lips and let my tongue explore her mouth, feeling Liz meet my action with a moan and her own tongue, wrapping our tongues around each other and savoring each other's taste. This is the future of Russia, the secure transfer of power secured in the upmost love and passion right here in this bedroom.

I released her lips and let my forehead rest against hers as we both panted for air, enjoying the pleasant silence and each other's company, reveling in the slow pleasure we were giving one another. I already began thinking of what I was going to do next - I would probably start out with kissing and biting at her neck, marking Yelizaveta as mine and mine alone, a display of our love and relationship, even if it must remain a secret hidden below a collar, then, I would move down to her breasts, licking, biting, and suckling at her nipples, feeling Liz begin to shake beneath me and hearing her begin to pant and moan with stimulation, I would turn to the other breast before heading down again, exploring - my train of thought and the our brilliant peace was interrupted my a knock on the outermost door of my apartments. I got up with a groan, my frustration at being interrupted clear as I stepped into some black slippers and put on a black and gold robe over my nightgown, not going so far as to dress but appearing somewhat more modest than I had been. I opened the door to my office and shut it behind me, giving Yelizaveta some freedom and privacy as she dressed herself. My younger sister no doubt just as upset and frustrated as I was to see our first lovemaking interrupted. I walked through my private office up to the outer door of my apartments, opening it to find my mother, internally, I was now incredibly grateful that I shut the door behind me. I didn't want anyone to learn about my relationship with Yelizaveta, least of all my mother. The last thing she needed after all the mourning was to learn about the incest.

"Hello mother," I greeted her, allowing her in and sitting down in the chair of my office, trying to act casual and welcoming, knowing that acting unusual in any way would catch my mother's attention, the Georgian Princess was an intelligent woman and she knew me better than I knew myself, she would be able to tell if I was hiding something, therefore, I pretended I wasn't hiding anything, pretending that everything was fine. My mother, already dressed in a red dress with black trim, a Russian eagle over her abdomen. It was a very nice dress, befitting of the Tsaritsa-mother of all Russia.

"Hello my Nastya, sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning, but I thought you would've been awake by now." my mother admitted, which is a nice way of her saying that she's surprised I'm not already active and ready as I usually am at this point in the day. I have especially been active as of late, due to the fact that I'll soon be leaving for Konstantiniyye, taking control of the Army of the Crimea and battling the Swedes. Speaking of the Swedes, this seems to be the topic my mother came here to discuss "I recognize you're very busy right now, but I heard from Sofiya that Prince Adolf asked to marry you. I know that your...sexuality does not allow for that and I know you do want to rule alone, but I'm surprised you didn't even stop to think of the political possibilities. I know it is a blatant Vasa scheme, but I also know you're a better schemer than Adolf, so I have to wonder, why didn't you marry him and journey to Stockholm? You could show the Swedish leadership just how much more competent you are, and, should Adolphus Rex befall an unfortunate death in The Holy Roman Empire, you could become Queen of Sweden. As the better ruler of the two and with the whole might of Russia behind you, surely you could seize The Kingdom of Sweden from within. As distasteful as a marriage may be for you, considering your activities in Poland and with the Bahmanid woman, I would've thought such a move was exactly within your interests."

"Well mother, as tempting as The Kingdom of Sweden may be, I seriously doubt that the Vasa would allow such a coup to happen so easily. They have been in power since the independence of Sweden from the Kalmar Union, their legitimacy and popularity will be difficult to overcome. Second of all, with how much power I have seized as of late, I would be more worried about the Russian nobles plotting with Prince Adolf than the Riksdag accepting me as their Queen, especially given the hostility between Russia and Sweden over the Baltic lands and Karelia. I would be lying if I said I didn't want it, but I don't think taking the Swedish lion is going to be easy and, the allies you mentioned in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Yasamin's Bahmanid Sultanate in India already require significant Russian resources to maintain, adding all of Sweden to that list as a junior partner of Russia may be too much of a strain on resources." I replied, honestly, this is all justification for the fact that I didn't want anything to do with Prince Adolf - or any man for that matter - and I saw it as a transparent scheme to steal Russia out from under me, but there is truth to it. The fact is undermining Sweden will take a lot more effort than simply winning over their nobility - and the rest of their parliamentary body, the Riksdag - effort that will be hard for me to put in while also reigning over my own Russian state. There is, additionally, an admittedly difficult hurdle that the ruler of Sweden, according to their laws, must be a Lutheran, meanwhile, as Tsarina, I am the power behind the Russian Orthodox Church. Finally, I am already propping up The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the forming Bahmanid Sultanate, adding a third state to that list - as well as the massive financial cost of building my Moscow, while settling southern Russia, while colonizing Siberia, while expanding the Russian army and navy - may be more than I can afford.

"Very well, I doubt Yelizaveta will be any more receptive. At least Sophie shall give me grandchildren..." my mother sighed, I wasn't sure what to think here, on one hand, this really was my mother wanting me to get married to Adolf so he would give me children, using the idea of seizing Sweden in an attempt to convince me, not because it's actually what she thought I should do, on the other hand, my mother isn't upset over my sexuality, she is upset over her theoretical grandchildren. I sighed, I suppose that it is an important concern, after all, this is the future of Russia, but Sofiya is already a source of heirs. I'm not that much better than my mother I suppose, after all, as I said, Sophie is the source of heirs, the likely bisexual woman alone is tasked with continuing our dynasty, due to Liz and I being lesbians. It is, admittedly, unfortunate for her, though, at very least, it does seem that Sophie has found a husband she is happy with. Not only that, but Countess Yekaterina is there if Sofiya ever wants a female lover, Igorevna has made it very clear that she wants to be Sophie's mistress.

"Indeed, she and Prince Christopher shall be departing for Denmark-Norway shortly. She will be married in the Lutheran faith and will become the titular Duchess of Holstein-Gottorp, with any luck, she will return pregnant, your grandchild and my heir growing within her. Meanwhile, I will journey to Constantinople to fulfill my obligations from The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya. Sweden will be denied foreign bullion, The Ottoman Empire's borders will be safe from being carved up by my enemies, and Sultana Helena will pay for all of it. Yelizaveta will experience rulership for the first time as my regent, this truly is a great time for our family, isn't it mother? The peak of The House Rurikovich." I tried to stay diplomatic with my mother, recognizing that she did not fully understand or accept my sexuality, however, we were still mother and daughter, we still loved each other. My understanding is that Sofiya and Christopher have already consummated their Orthodox marriage and they will do the same in Copenhagen for their Lutheran marriage. At that point, Sofiya shall return to Russia while Christopher will remain in Denmark for some time before rejoining his wife. Sophie and Christopher will sometimes be apart, sometimes be together in Moscow, and sometimes be together in Copenhagen, perhaps they'll even be together in Schleswig or Kiel one day.

"I am proud, Anastasia, I am, but I am also a mother. You have decided that you'll never understand what that is like, but there are things that my heart wants which do not agree with your ambition and your absolutism. In some ways, I would rather see you gentle, married, and having kids rather than reigning over a state, it is part of the reason why your father and I tried three times to have a son. You were never meant to rule, yet here you are, the greatest ruler that Russia has ever seen, so yes, I am proud, but I am also sad, because you'll never play the part we wanted you to play." my mother admitted. I didn't know how to react to that, my first reaction was hurt, to know that, despite my pride, despite my accomplishments, despite my reign, this still isn't what my parents wanted of me. My second reaction was one of political concern, this had to remain a secret - my whole reign is based on the divine right to rule - the fact that, not only was the inheritance law changed recently, but it was changed as a last resort only when a male heir could not be arranged, delegitimized that argument. Then, there was acceptance, my mother herself admitted I would never understand, this wasn't something I would like to hear, nor was it something that changed her pride in me. It didn't really matter though, because at this point, my mother had no power over me. I was the divine, absolutist monarch of Russia and I had already decided that I would rule and the new succession. My mother, sensing that this discussion took a wrong turn, decided to leave before this got any worse "In any case, I have to go. You should get dressed too, you have a meeting with Countess Kukeinos soon, Yelizaveta should be there too."

"Right...I'll let her know," my mother gave a strange look at the door to my chambers before leaving wordlessly. I thought that was suspicious, but overall, it had to be harmless, there is no way the reaction to incest between two of her daughters would be a tense acceptance, especially given her acceptance of the sexuality was already rather tense. She probably just understood that Liz and I were close and, chances are, I would come across her before she did. In any case, I went back into my room and went to get dressed, I did indeed have a meeting with my foreign minister today.

* * *

Yelizaveta and I entered a second story room at our palace, finding Natasha already there, a fresh map of Europe laid across the table in front of her. The two of us joined the noblewoman, looking across it. The Tsardom of Russia appeared massive on this map, painted green and including the new territories in Byelorussia, Ruthenia, Zaporizhia, Crimea, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, stretching from Minsk in the west to Siberia in the east. The northern expanses of Asia, less known to us, was still painted in a faded green color, symbolizing our claims all the way to Pacific, even if we didn't truly rule over that land yet. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, in red, was to our west, a rump state right now, but I could already envision those borders growing as Lady Krystyna revitalized The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and expanded it, taking lands from Sweden and various German states. All the while, Krystyna would also be expanding into Habsburg held lands in Bohemia and Upper Hungary, inheriting Transylvania, and conquering lands from both The Ottoman Empire in central Hungary and Croatia, and The Kingdom of Spain, presently reigning over Naples as a Viceroyalty. All of that was painted clearly on this map.

"Tsarina Anastasia, Tsarevna Yelizaveta," Countess Kukeinos bowed and paid us respect as she greeted us "A report on the situation abroad. The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway have come good on their alliance with us, their forces are spread throughout their lands. They were previously involved in the war in The Holy Roman Empire, this is no longer the case, nevertheless, they have kept an army on the border with The Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp. I suspect this is as much due to Swedish intervention as fighting for the Protestant cause. Another Danish army is placed along the Oresund, eager to regain control of Scania from Sweden. Two further Norwegian armies are placed along the border with Sweden, including one in the disputed Jamtland. The Danes are prepared and committed to joining our war against Sweden when the time comes, I will monitor the situation in case anything changes over the next few years."

"Thank you Natasha, the Danes will help us encircle the Swedes. Holstein-Gottorp represents their attempt to outmaneuver Denmark, however, with any luck, Holstein-Gottorp shall become a Russian territory under Danish sovereignty." I explained. I was more than satisfied with her report on The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway, it was exactly what I wanted out of the Danes given the size of their state and their population. The Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp is an interesting idea, one of the things Prince Christopher offered in the marriage terms, on one hand, it was new land to take, not only that, but it was land I could take away from a Swedish ally, however, that introduces a few problems with sovereignty. The Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp is an interesting case feudally, as The Duchy of Holstein is a fiefdom within The Holy Roman Empire, however, The Duchy of Schleswig, which includes Gottorp Castle, is a vassal of Denmark-Norway. This means that, overall, Holstein-Gottorp is subject to both the Emperor, and more directly, the King of Denmark. The Tsardom of Russia is mine and mine alone, and, while Holstein-Gottorp may be a new opportunity for Russia, it also comes with a unique set of problems.

"Of course, my liege. The Kingdom of Portugal has expressed unhappiness with our cooperation. They did not receive Muscat or Bahrain in The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya and they are upset over the losses they have taken in the war. The desertion of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force has also been blamed on us, even though we have had nothing to do with it. Do you still want to maintain this alliance?" Natasha asked, explaining the tense situation with the Portuguese. The reality is, I never intended for the alliance to be permanent, Terezia offered an alliance and I instead poached her for my services, the alliance itself only used to give me another edge in this war. I did not give them Muscat or Bahrain because, quite frankly, they had served their purpose and I prioritized expanding The Tsardom of Russia and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth over everything else. The Portuguese Expeditionary Force, meanwhile, is an interesting case. Portugal sent a force, which along with William Yveson's predominantly Scottish mercenaries and the Transylvanian forces, were attached to the Armia z Besarabia, now, following the Second Battle of Varna, this force abandoned Portugal, joining forces with Lady Krystyna. The Portuguese taking the legacy of their reconquista ancestors to battle The Ottomans for Lady Krystyna. The Scottish mercenaries were also won over by the promise of conquest and plunder all across Europe. This means that Krystyna has an, admittedly ragtag and diverse, army with which to make her conquests.

"No, The Kingdom of Portugal is on the opposite end of Europe and The Bahmanid Sultanate shall serve me better in India." I explained. Natasha will take care of dismantling the alliance. The Portuguese will no doubt be upset, but that hardly matters, as I've said, they're all the way on the other end of Europe. The whole reason I allied with Lady Krystyna is to spread Russian influence further than I could naturally and the whole reason I brought Yasamin to Moscow is to take over the Deccan for me. Russia and Portugal are simply too far apart for their to be any consequences to this decision. I suppose the Portuguese royals won't want to marry with us, but again, that doesn't matter, unlike Catholic Portugal or Anglican England, Orthodox Russia does not limit itself by only marrying with Catholic countries or Orthodox ones, we make compromises, such as the compromise we made with Denmark-Norway. Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani's Sultanate will serve me better in India, a local and highly militarized power, educated on European warfare in Russia.

"Very well, speaking of the Portuguese Expeditionary Force, they, along with the Scots, have joined the Armia z Krakow near the border between The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Habsburg controlled Silesia. King Jan has granted Lady Krystyna control over this single Polish army for her invasion of Bohemia. The implication we would side with Krystyna was enough to pacify the Prussian, no actual Russian action was necessary. Prince Matyas of Transylvania has also sent his forces to join Lady Krystyna" Natasha detailed next, excellent, this meant that Lady Krystyna was already going to move on Bohemia. An army of Poles, Transylvanians, Portuguese, and mercenaries from the British Isles should be more than sufficient to occupy Bohemia, especially with Adolphus Rex preoccupied in Franconia and his son all the way in The Ottoman Empire, abandoning his station.

"Excellent, everything is proceeding exactly as I have foreseen." I smirked, my predictions for Krystyna's conquests coming together. For the first time, Russian influence was going to spread as far west as Slavic culture in general, Krystyna pushing all the way into the lands of the Czechs, Sorbs, and Silesian Poles. These lands include many Germans as well, but the Polish noblewoman shall deal with that as she feels fit. Speaking of Germans, Natasha - a Baltic German herself - moved on to the topic, addressing my hopes to settle southern Russia with Germans displaced by the war in The Holy Roman Empire. The war ravaged lands now had a population surplus beyond its means, a surplus Russia could exploit.

"Settlers from northern Germany have arrived in southern Russia, establishing a variety of villages, these stretch as far as the frontier of The Tsardom of Russia. A settlement on the River Or, called Orenburg, has the potential to grow into a city. I can extend invitations to Germans in the Livonian lands as well." Natasha proposed, showing the extent of German settlement. Germans have been migrating into eastern Europe for centuries now, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that the combination of a welcoming Russia and the constant bloodshed at home has drawn in numerous Germans. Natalia, using her contacts back home in the state of The Livonian Order, which also had their own sets of problems. These lands, themselves an eastern extension of German settlement, were on the verge of being carved up by Russia, Sweden, and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, meaning much of the population felt dread. The actual Estonians and Latvians who lived there did not necessarily have the opportunity to move as far as southern Russia, but the German upper class did.

"Excellent, Countess Kukeinos, is there anything else?" I asked and Natasha scanned over the map for a moment longer before shaking her head. There were bound to be a handful of other developments, whether they be foreign wars, new marriage or alliance ties between countries, or events concerning the religions situation in Europe, such as Papal decrees or another northern European country turning to Protestantism, but they were not immediately pressing to Russia. This suited me well, the political situation was stable enough that I felt comfortable making my trip to The Ottoman Empire, knowing that my little sister would be more than capable of keeping Russia under control in my absence "Very well then, you shall be working with Tsarevna Yelizaveta during my absence, brief her regularly as if nothing has changed. I will assume control once I return from Constantinople."

"Of course, I look forward to working with you, Tsarevna Yelizaveta," Natasha bowed and smiled before my sister, confident in her duties. The Baltic German has proven herself an invaluable addition to my court and I am very glad that I have chosen her as my Foreign Minister. Countess Maria Hagerloh was putting her skills learned with the Hanseatic League to good use as my Minister of Trade, while Yekaterina Igorevna was translating her White Sea Company and Black Sea Company experience to Russia as my Minister of Economics, Countess Maryana Knyazeva was Terezia's Serb protege from Transylvania and she was applying her regional knowledge now by overseeing the establishment of puppet Patriarchs for the Serbian and Bulgarian Autonomous Orthodox Churches. Malgorzata was already set to become by ambassador and spy in Warsaw, setting it upon herself to expand her spy network into any of Krystyna's future states. My court was developing wonderfully, but there was one more member of it, Isabella Theresa, whose services were refused by Austria and The Palatinate, but now, she would have the chance to truly prove herself as a female military leader by accompanying me as we take control of the Army of Crimea.

* * *

"My liege," the Austrian noblewoman bowed as we gathered at the port of Sevastopol. Isabella Theresa von Neunkirchen and I would lead this army on our own, no actual generals here. I guaranteed The Ottoman Empire and I was taking this seriously, I wanted to prove myself as a leader and Isabella Theresa was a promising strategist, but, if we failed, it was the Ottoman capital that would suffer, not a Russian city. There was no losing here, if we won, we would prove we are competent leaders, capable of leading an army against the great Swedish forces, if we lost the battle, we would simply return to Crimea, the Turks paying the price rather than the Russians. That being said, I liked our chances, we would be supported by Ottoman forces as well, not only that, but Prince Adolf was operating half a continent away from his supply lines, with no hope of getting reinforcements.

"The harsh reality of politics and opportunism can be rather shocking. Here we stand, in what was once Ottoman Theodoro, about to embark on a journey to defend the Ottoman capital from, what is for all intents and purposes, a shocking Swedish raid. Sweden is our biggest enemy now, given that The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been pacified and I have what I wanted from The Ottoman Empire, Russians and Turks will fight side by side against Prince Adolf. The Second Rome, confronted with Germanic barbarians at the gates." I reflected on the strange developments that led us here, developments which ultimately boiled down to two claimants to Rome standing together to fight against Vandals. History truly does repeat itself.

"I never imagined seeing Constantinople this way, in fact, it seemed more likely that the Turks would see Vienna. Yet here we are, about to save our former enemies from our future enemies." Isabella Theresa surmised as well, reflecting on the chaos of European politics. Where Denmark-Norway marched into The Holy Roman Empire to champion the Protestant cause, only to be turned back, and leave entirely when their fellow Lutherans, their eternal nemeses in Sweden, became the de facto leader of the Protestant side, where Poland went from rival to ally of Russia, and where Russians and Turks stood side by side in battle.

* * *

Alright everyone, like I said, next chapter kicks off the climax, I hope this chapter did a good job setting things up! Anyway, peace out!


	36. Barbarians at The Gates

Well, here we are, the beginning of the end. I love this story, I love how my writing has improved and changed through the process of writing this, and I love you all for reading this. So, without further adieu, chapter thirty-six.

Sorry for the edit, but: I just noticed that the act title for chapter thirty-four is incorrect...crap. I've checked it over multiple times and haven't noticed before, just my luck that I don't notice until after I've already deleted the document. Sorry about that, it's supposed to be "The Civilizations and The Vandals" like all the other act three chapters, but it's mislabeled "The Vandals and The Civilizations" in chapter thirty-four. My bad.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXVI.

Barbarians at The Gates.

* * *

Fatimah and I stood outside of the Hagia Sophia, looking out at Konstantiniyye. Our city, our capital, the city on the Crossroads of the World, the place where east and west meet. A great city, one which has stood watch over the Bosporus for centuries, benefiting from the trade between Europe, Asia, and Africa, but a city which has always held a perilous location. The City of the World'S Desires has been, well, desirable, this led to the Arabs laying siege to Constantinople before being repelled by the Byzantines, this has led to the Byzantine Empire falling to rogue crusaders in 1204, this has led to The Ottoman Empire taking Konstantiniyye once and for all in 1463 from the reformed Byzantine Empire. The city's riches and strategic location has always made it a target, now, is no exception. There are traitors here, Konstantiniyye is compromised, and the Swedes are coming to sack our city.

The traditionalists claim to fight for Ottoman conservatism, preserving the Turkish ruling class and expanding their Empire and their estates, in reality, they fight for purely selfish causes. They would invite foreigners to sack our capital just to hide their coup - Spartak Pasha was not willing to start a civil war now that his involvement in the first plot was revealed, he knew he had to be more subtle than that, so instead, he would try and have Fatimah and I killed during the chaos, blaming our deaths on the Swedes - but we are not that stupid. We know Spartak's plans, therefore, we dismantled the first coup entirely - using Spartak's letters to track down his co-conspirators and having the Janissaries put him under house arrest once he served his role - perhaps we too would have him killed during the chaos. The Swedes, meanwhile, will face the combined force of the Janissaries, an impromptu army of volunteers, and, if Anastasia's promises are to believed, their whole Army of the Crimea. No doubt that army will be just as large, if not larger than the armies we faced in the Russo-Ottoman War, though perhaps not as experienced. We shall be better off, fighting on home soil while the Swedes are half a continent beyond their very longest of supply lines. Every loss, every desertion for the Swedes under Prince Adolf is permanent - we can afford losses, they cannot.

That line of thinking was of little comfort to me. We just fought a long, disgusting war against the Russians and now we were getting into yet another battle, this one even more pointless. This was not a declared war, this was not an ideological struggle, this wasn't even a poorly justified crusade, this is nothing but naked and shameless looting by the Crown Prince of Sweden. It was one thing fighting in Arabia - at least then I had the excuse of being ignorant of war and seeing the Portuguese prioritize their own lives and their own trade interests over their local allies and subjects in Hormuz, Oman, Yemen, and Najd - or against Russia, where war was inevitable due to overlapping claims, this is just pointless. I have done nothing to offend Sweden, if anything, we have similar enemies in Austria and Russia, but that doesn't matter, Prince Adolf sees an opportunity and he does not care enough about his troops to refuse it. His troops, Protestant Swedish warriors, would surely prefer to fight for the cause in Bremen and beyond against their Catholic foes than nonsensical raid far from home? I sighed, there would be many, many pointless and brutal deaths in the coming days.

"It's not your fault," Fatimah quietly told me, seeing me consumed by my own thoughts, the coming terror, the dread of what was about to happen to my beautiful city. I just don't understand, how is it that I want to lead a peaceful and stable empire, yet I'm already in my third different conflict? It wasn't fair, Fatimah and I have wonderful ideas to revitalize and improve an empire which lost much of its significance once the Europeans discovered the New World, but we cannot put any of that into play due to these constant wars. I love Fatimah, truly, and I know she loves me, that is why I am so utterly baffled by her insisting a war to take Sicily is even feasible. It is hard to be assured by her when I know she is still planning and considering new wars. That is not to say that it is impossible and, even if it may not be effective, I did listen to what my Grand Vizier and wife had to say "Every death that happens is on the shoulders of Spartak Pasha and Adolf Vasa, all you're doing is fighting to defend your capital, your people. You are doing the right thing, I promise you."

"Sometimes I wonder if I should be doing anything at all. Do you know what I did last time I was here?" I asked Fatimah, gesturing to the Hagia Sophia, thinking back to that fateful day in 1622 before I met Fatimah, how long ago that was, how much has changed since them. The Ottoman Empire has gained the rest of Arabia, but we have lost Caucasia and Crimea, and now our very capital is at risk. I thought that Fatimah and I would be a force for good in The Ottoman Empire, but after all this, I don't see my reign as very successful. Fatimah remained remained silent so I continued on telling her this story "I wanted to leave. I didn't believe in myself, I just had a man killed and screamed at Olga solely because she was hiding her gender, what a hypocrite I was, angry at her for being a woman just like me. I left the palace and I saw her true life, I saw the consequences of my actions, and, for the first time, I didn't think I was worthy of ruling The Ottoman Empire. Now, almost a whole three years later, I once again see the consequences of my actions, and again, I don't think I'm worthy of doing what I want to do. I look at my reign and I see nothing but pointless bloodshed and hollow promises. I'm a failure Fatimah."

"No, you're not. Your wars, as bloody as they were, have given us a massive coastline on the Indian Ocean. You have laid the foundation for Arab, Persian, and Turkish sailors to once again dominate the Indian Ocean, it doesn't matter if you've lost Crimea and Caucasia, you have benefited The Ottoman Empire. The only people who fail to see that are the same people who would let the Swedes burn Konstantiniyye to the ground." Fatimah countered, but even she knew that it wasn't entirely true. Many people fail to see my success, the horrible mood in The Ottoman Empire when we returned is proof of that, but I do understand what she is saying. Our enemies, the ones who would actually stand against us for our mistakes, are the same ones who want foreigners to burn our capital to the ground. Fools who call themselves Turkish traditionalists yet follow an Albanian, fools who think The Ottoman Empire must favor Turks above all else when, for centuries, the court spoke Persian and claimed the Seljuk throne in Persia, fools who trust Prince Adolf to spare their property from his looting and pillaging.

"Thank you Fatimah, but I don't think I can be that optimistic right now." I sighed and held her hand, the two of us settling into an uncertain silent as we remarked upon our great city. Konstantiniyye, strong, strategic, and rich, truly an amazing accumulation of history, architecture, and ingenuity, but it was in danger. Fatimah and I had to defend the city at any cost. We could lose Caucasia, we could lose Crimea, even if that includes my birthplace and home of Theodoro, but we could not lose Konstantiniyye. If we could do nothing else, we would defend the city.

* * *

Lightning flashed through the dark, cloudy skies as Konstantiniyye was battered with storms. I wore a shawl around my head and down my shoulders as I walked through the cold halls of Topkapi Palace, meeting Fatimah in the dungeons. I nodded at her and, without a word, the two of us walked over to a very particular cell, where two of Captain Draganov's Janissaries stood watch. The two men, in their black, green, red, and gold uniforms, framed the cell holding Spartak Pasha, the leader of the traditionalists and the man responsible for all this nonsense.

"Spartak Pasha," I greeted, no longer bothering to hide the scorn in my voice. This man, the protege of Ibrahim Pasha, was powerhungry to no end. He started with practically demanding to become Grand Vizier after his mentor's death, once I refused him, he began his plotting, taking control of the traditionalist faction. The faction, evidently, struggled, as Spartak Pasha bought himself time by inserting himself into my war in Arabia, likely his idea as a gesture of peace. In reality, this was just an attempt to buy himself time as he pulled his faction back together, putting himself in a position to make demands, which he did upon Fatimah and I's return from our tour of The Ottoman Empire, then later when Lady Krystyna threatened our capital with her Polish and Transylvanian forces. Meanwhile, he prepared his final move, his actual coup. He had two plans, the first was the installation of the Levantine Guard in Konstantiniyye as his third demand, putting his loyalists and co-conspirators in control of my capital. Fatimah, Olga, and I intercepted this plan, finally able to arrest these men despite their power and influence. Now, as one final attempt for peace, we will try to stop his second plot, his plot to allow the Swedes to sack Konstantiniyye so that he could seize power in the ensuing chaos. Perhaps it was too late, but we would still try, I wanted to preserve my city as well as possible.

"Helena of Gothia, a heathen, a traitor, and an usurper, what do you want?" Spartak Pasha barked out, dropping any pretense of loyalty now that his plans were exposed, his allies were arrested, and he himself was in the dungeons. I think I preferred this dynamic, it felt more honest, more cathartic given that I didn't have to hold back my hatred of him, and the fact that he was defenseless and locked up didn't hurt. That being said, I didn't have time to enjoy this, I needed to either get Spartak to call of the Swedes - though I did doubt that they would listen - or realize that he wasn't going to help as quickly as possible so that Fatimah and I could return to defending the city.

"You dare call your Sultana a traitor when you have invited foreigners to attack our capital?" Fatimah yelled out, pointing out the utter hypocrisy of her former rival, the man who would not accept her appointment as Grand Vizier. As for heathen, admittedly, he may have a point there, I don't quite know where my religious views stand at this point, especially because I would rather focus on ruling The Ottoman Empire than concerning myself with my own beliefs. As far as I'm concerned, I am the ruler of a Sunni Empire with many religious minorities to consider, such as Orthodox Christians, Oriental Christians, Shia and Ibadi Muslims, along with a variety of other groups of various faiths, therefore, so long as I can maintain peace between the religions, my own doesn't really matter. Usurper, meanwhile, is simply not true. Ibrahim Pasha would have been an usurper and Spartak Pasha is trying to be one. I simply came to power as the regent to my son, as his closest surviving relative. If anyone is to be blamed, it is Suleiman III and his predecessors for murdering their brothers as they took the throne. This chaotic struggle being a result of the rather unique system of succession within The Ottoman Empire.

"She has taken power for herself at the expense of tradition, she has imprisoned loyalists to the Empire, and she has led our armies into ruin. Tell me, Fatimah bint Abdul, how can you call yourself a Muslim when you follow a Christian woman who declared a Jihad and failed? She has made a mockery of our faith, she has declared a holy war for subjects of another religion and lost. How can you believe Allah is with her when the Greatest clearly is not?" Spartak bit back, trying to turn Fatimah and I against each other, I wasn't going to stand for this, besides, I needed to get back to the topic at hand. Unfortunately, I was going to have some trouble doing that as Spartak Pasha managed to provoke Fatimah's wrath.

"Even you admitted we could not win that war. Helena did everything she could, even following your suggestion to gather our forces in the Balkans, do not accuse her of such things, Spartak. Nor should you assume what Allah would think, you are beneath him." Fatimah retorted with religiously charged rhetoric. My son was the Caliph of the Sunni faith, our leader on this world, if anyone is to know what the Greatest thinks, it is him. It is not me, it is not Fatimah, and it is certainly not Spartak Pasha. I didn't like this though, I feared even back then that declaring a Jihad was a bad idea, but I needed to motivate my troops to fight harder, seeing as the Russians are a severe enemy. I knew that my troops would have to fight hard, but I still underestimated the Russians and my men paid the price. Many of those who did not die at Tskhumi would die in the mountains, still covered in snow in late spring. Those who survived were annihilated at The Siege of Erivan, where Fatimah and I narrowly escaped being completely encircled and captured.

"Of course you would not understand. You never did understand Islam, I always saw that in the way you dressed, the way you refused to know your place, the way you still remain unmarried. Where is your veil? Where are your children? You have failed to follow the teachings time and time again Fatimah bint Abdul, this is no exception, and for it, I will ensure that you do not survive the coming slaughter." I was getting mad too now, seeing Spartak Pasha so openly, so brazenly insult and threaten the woman who I considered my wife. I knew that Fatimah could more than stand up for herself, she has proven that time and time again, but, this time, I wanted to be the one to interject. Fatimah defended me countless times, now I was going to defend her.

"She doesn't need a veil or children to be a better Grand Vizier than you ever would have been, Spartak Pasha." I silenced him, mocking him for his failure, for the fact he never got to be what his mentor wanted him to be. I then took advantage of the silence to push forward "You will be nothing Spartak, nothing but a treacherous fool to die in the coming slaughter, as you put it, but you don't have to be that. Stop this, stop the coup and stop the Swedes, do so, and you will be rewarded. You will be freed and you will be given a governorship in the Balkans, free of my direct oversight. There doesn't have to be any slaughter, Fatimah and I can remain on the throne here in Konstantiniyye, while you can have autonomy and power far away from the city."

"Prince Adolf has promised me something far better than that, he has promised me the regency. I will have full control of The Ottoman Empire and you two will be dead, the first of many subversive elements disposed of." Spartak Pasha refused, clearly obsessed with his own scheme and his own quest for power that he cannot see the clear flaws with his plan. First of all, there is the fact that he is in prison, he will not be able to coordinate with the Swedes and he will be executed if he tries, second of all, Spartak Pasha thinks he will have complete control when that control if being granted by Prince Adolf, does he truly think that the Swede will sack Konstantiniyye and simply leave happily? No, Adolf will want more, he will want to turn Spartak Pasha into a puppet against Russia. This will no doubt mean war, and that war will no doubt be disastrous as the Russians tear apart The Ottoman Empire once more. Third of all, does Spartak Pasha truly expect that we will have no loyalists? Even if he does manage to secure power and manage the Swedes, does he not see that there will be civil war and outrage over the change in power? Especially given that Tsarina Anastasia of Russia herself has sided with me.

"You have summoned the Swedes here to sack the city and give you power, but did you even think of a way to remove them? What do you intend to do if Prince Adolf decides to stay in Konstantiniyye, looting the city, until and unless he is removed?" I asked, making one final attempt to resolve this peacefully. Spartak's eyes widened as he seemed to realize he didn't consider that. Prince Adolf abandoned his own father in The Holy Roman Empire to pursue an adventure in The Ottoman Empire for personal wealth and glory, there is no chance he wouldn't betray Spartak Pasha if he didn't see it as beneficial. Unfortunately, this shock and realization was not enough to move the Albanian from his scheme, clearly too committed to back down now.

"My priority is to remove you, everything else can wait." Spartak Pasha announced with a sense of finality before retreating into the shadows of his cell. I sighed to Fatimah, he would not cooperated, even if he would, I suspect more and more that Prince Adolf wouldn't listen. The two of us walked out of the dungeons in silence, knowing that Spartak Pasha is the enemy and allowing him to hear anything of our plans was a risk. Only when we were out of the dungeons and into Topkapi Palace proper did we begin discussing our next moves, with Fatimah giving me a report of the situation.

"The storms mean that it is too dangerous for the Russians to approach the Dardanelles and make their landing, they will make port in the closest harbor outside of the storms before marching here. This means that our original defensive plans are no longer possible, we don't have the numbers to stand against the Swedes on our own, therefore, I suggest that we have our men man the walls, forcing the Swedes into a siege. They will not have the resources to maintain a siege - let alone one against such a large city as Konstantiniyye - and, soon enough, they will be boxed in between the walls and the Russians. The Wallachians, once again, have refused to send any aid, the Prince having grown arrogant due to our lack of a professional army in the Balkans. I have also written to King Jan of Poland, but he has apparently already committed troops to the west. I'm not sure what exactly The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is doing along their western border, though perhaps they merely intend to join the struggle over German religion." Fatimah explained, revealing the situation to be fairly grim. The Russians were delayed, no one else was sending help, and we would not be able to fight the Swedes in battle outside of the city, we would have to face them in a siege. I did recognize that a siege benefited us, after all, this was our capital, the heart of our Empire, while for them, it was a distant and exotic target, but that did not mean that I wanted to face the Swedes like this. I wanted to keep the fighting away from the city proper, but it seems like that will not be possible.

"I'm not sure, it doesn't seem like the correct move for Poland at this time. I don't see why they would enter a protracted and lengthy conflict after being so devastated by the Russians and then fighting in Moldavia. Anyway, this is no time to talk about The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, back to the defense of Konstantiniyye." I mused over the Poles for a brief moment before returning to the topic at hand. The Archduchy of Austria, led by the Emperor, and their Catholic allies, have fought against the Protestant forces for years, first lead by the Elector-Palatine of the Rhine and now by Adolphus Rex of Sweden, with Poland playing only a small role. As a predominantly Catholic country and a rather pious one, the Poles have supported the Catholic cause, however, they have not actually entered the war, for a plethora of reasons. First is the fact that this isn't Poland's war, they are not part of the Empire, second, there is the fact that Poland, until recently, has been focused on their eastern border, finally, there is the fact that the people in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth enjoy a certain religious tolerance. Jan the Prussian had even been a Lutheran before converting in order to get elected King of Poland. In any case, that was not our problem right now, far from it "I would prefer meeting the Swedes outside of the city, but I recognize that, without the Russians, we won't have the numbers. We'll man the walls and hold the line until the Russians involve. The levies we raised shall be overseen by the Janissaries wherever possible to maximize our efficiency and professionalism."

"Of course, my Sultana," Fatimah would have it done. We may not agree with everything, but there was a reason why I wanted to be her wife and put a ring around her finger, I love her and I trust her. Fatimah may still want war despite everything we've experienced, but that is not out of a place of malice or mindless hatred. Fatimah's willingness to attack Sicily comes from the same place as her ambitious idea to built a canal through the narrow isthmus linking Egypt proper to the Sinai Peninsula, she sees it as possible and she sees the benefits that shall come to The Ottoman Empire. We will take Malta and expel the Knights Hospitaller, then, taking Sicily will limit Spain's ability to compete with us in the Mediterranean. We dominate trade in the eastern Mediterranean and our Barbary subjects in Algiers disrupt and subvert our enemies in the western part of the sea, taking Sicily would bridge these two separate Mediterranean worlds together. No one has fully controlled the sea since the age of the Romans who proclaimed it Mare Nostrum, but if we take Sicily, we could come close. We would repair our claim to Rome after losing to Russia and we would control some of the most lucrative trade routes in all of Europe. The ideal of taking Sicily is wonderful, the problem is, I fear the reality of fights the Spanish, The Papal States, and the Knights all at once, the losses may be even worse than our losses at Lepanto the last century.

Storms have forced the Russians off course, Spartak Pasha has refused to cooperate under any circumstances, and The Ottoman Empire has been forced to take an suboptimal position in defense of our capital. This is occurring whilst Germans kill their fellow Germans over denominational disagreements, the Swedes see their own Crown Prince abandon this struggle for a raid on the Ottoman capital, and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth braces for yet another war in eastern Europe. This is a tumultuous and chaotic time in Europe and Konstantiniyye was no exception, as that very Crown Prince is the man striking against my city. I still want to believe in peace, I still want to do the right thing for The Ottoman Empire, but I knew that, before any of that, there would be one more war. Konstantiniyye would be drowned in blood and fire. My choices and my decisions, at least partially, led to this, I made mistakes, I was not a perfect ruler, but I did not think that I deserved this. It didn't matter what I deserved, it didn't matter what I wanted, it didn't matter what I aspired to, but what did matter is what I was going to do now. I would defend Konstantiniyye from this naked aggression and Fatimah bint Abdul would be at my side. I was concerned, I was scared, and I doubted myself, but she made me feel better about this, she made me feel certain, therefore, she would help me, and our Empire, through this difficult time.

* * *

I laid in bed having woken up early. The days of storms have been replaced with a bright, sunny day without a cloud in the sky. The weather was deceptive, the rains may have been replaced by perfect weather, but I knew that a storm was just on the horizon. A storm of Swedish bullets, gunpowder, and cannonballs, exploding against the walls of Konstantiniyye with the fury of crackling thunder. The Russians would come, eventually, but I couldn't be sure where exactly they landed and, thus, I didn't know when they would reach the capital. My armies were in ruins, my nation was humiliated, and my capital was vulnerable, but The Ottoman Empire would survive, if nothing else, Fatimah and I would guarantee that. I trusted my Grand Vizier, I trust the woman who was laying at my side right now, holding me all night, letting my feel safe, secure, and loved. I couldn't defend Konstantiniyye without her.

I looked at her peaceful, content face - free of the worries and thoughts she would be consumed with if she was awake, a result of her duties as Grand Vizier of The Ottoman Empire - and her silky, black hair splayed across the pillows of our shared bed. Her caramel skin covered only by a nightgown, the rest was free for me to see, to explore. I do not what my life could have been like if Suleiman III never invaded The Principality of Theodoro, perhaps I would even find myself an ally of the Tsardom of Russia - something which would be a necessity if The Ottomans still conquered the Genoese holdings around the Black Sea - given that Tsarina Anastasia's ambitions would no doubt still extend to Crimea. Perhaps I would be a vassal of Russia, but, no matter what happened, I don't think I would be this happy. I found love with Fatimah, I found a woman who I could rule with, who knows if I ever would have found that in Theodoro? It is unfortunate that I had to be married to Suleiman III, I still shiver thinking of his careless, distant touch, but he's been dead and gone for years. Now, I am with Fatimah bint Abdul, I am happy, and I have a young son who shall soon rule The Ottoman Empire.

Abdullah Timur was a complicated issue. My feelings for him were still strange, I love him, he is the reason I remained on the throne and in Konstantiniyye before meeting Fatimah, on the other hand, I cannot deny that he is the result of a marriage I never wanted. Abdullah Timur is a testament to my self-sacrifice, when I let Suleiman III have me as his wife to allow my family to flee to Genoa, where they live to this day. I suppose that means that he is a son I never wanted, but it hurts to admit that, what does that mean about our relationship then? Does the fact I dread admitting I didn't want him mean I now love him and want him, or is the guilt because I feel I should love him even though I don't? My love for Fatimah seems so simple, so natural, yet my love for my son is so much more complicated, so much harder, so different. I was excited to see him when I returned from the wars, all grown up, already becoming strong and articulate, but then he spoke about his father, a man he looks up to for reasons I cannot understand. That makes it even harder, not only is my son a reminder of my horrible relationship with his father, but he takes after his father, convinced that Suleiman III was a good man.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt Fatimah beginning to stir. I heard a pleasant noise escape her lips as she rose so that she was straddling me, her body and mind awake, but her eyes were still closed. Fatimah didn't need to see to show her love and affection, she simply felt it, so, with her eyes still shut and tired, she leaned down and kissed me while my hands found their way to her hips. A long kiss later, Fatimah leaned back and sat, still straddling me, and finally opened her eyes. My eyes found hers and we simply sat in blissful silence for a moment, my concerned, early morning thoughts silenced by my loving wife, a woman who could calm my mind even in the midst of a mental typhoon. I had to hope that she would do the same to The Ottoman Empire, bringing it back together after the Swedish attack, reasserting our authority and launching our plans to improve the Empire.

"As much as I'd love nothing more to please you in broad daylight, we have a busy day ahead of us. The Swedes will no doubt be marching already, they will be upon us today." Fatimah, reluctantly, got down to business. Our scouts have found Prince Adolf and his forces, having crossed into The Ottoman Empire via Habsburg Upper Hungary, based on where they were before making camp last night, they will be upon Konstantiniyye today and the siege will begin. I nodded without a word and Fatimah got off me, the two of us instantly getting to work, dressing ourselves and preparing for today's events. I dressed in black leather boots with gold trim, a matching sash, and green leggings. I wore a green tunic below a matching cloak framed in gold, brought together with a red seal with a star and crescent on it. The outfit was meant to be more practical than any dress would be in this case. Fatimah was also being practical today, she wore a long black tunic, red leggings, and black boots, not exactly plate armor, but definitely more rugged than dresses.

Thus, two brunettes walked through the halls of Topkapi Palace on a beautiful day in 1625 as The Ottoman Empire braced itself against a brutal and shocking raid by The Kingdom of Sweden. Captain Draganov and a squadron of Janissaries surrounded us in a protective shield as we made our way to the defenses of the city. Layers upon layers of ancient walls surrounded various parts of the city - older parts of the walls often being disassembled piece by piece to make room for new housing or to be reused for newer parts of the defenses further out - but the outermost walls were relatively modern. The walls were fortified, low and heavy, included bastions, and enclosed most of the city, with only some slums and travelling markets outside. I didn't even want to lose that, but they knew the risks when settling outside of the walls and I made sure that these communities were warned of the coming siege. Those who remained outside of the walls were likely to die, but I didn't know what more I could have done short of forcefully evacuating them. The Swedes and their guns would come, my only hope is that those unfortunate enough to still be outside the walls of Konstantiniyye have the common sense to flee and find refuge somewhere safe.

"Men! You have your orders, spread out and take command of the levies, control as many sectors of the walls as you can!" Captain Draganov ordered "his" men as we reached the top of the outer walls, seeing the Swedes in the distance, beginning to approach this part of the city. To my surprise, they did not fan out and begin encircling this part of the city, rather, they remained a cohesive unit, marching straight ahead on the path to the main gate. I realized what was going on here, the Janissaries protected the Palace and Spartak Pasha wanted to replace them with the Levantine Guard for his coup, but that was not all that he had replaced. Spartak's loyalists had also infiltrated the city guards and we had not realized this until it was too late. The Janissaries and these levies of peasant soldiers would have to defend all of Konstantiniyye against the Swedes _and _the city guards from within.

"Fire the cannons at the Swedes! They are going to enter through the main gate!" I ordered.

"Janissaries! Take control of the gates, do not let them open!" Fatimah ordered at the same time and our loyalists began springing into action. Our levies fired the cannons at the Swedes, but they were so close to the walls and our men were poorly trained, meaning it was difficult to land hits. The Janissaries, meanwhile, rushed down the stairs and tried to take the gates, but they were spread out thin across the walls and it took time for them to gather back up, meanwhile, the city guards were fighting hard and opening the gates at the same time. Spartak Pasha had overwhelming numbers on his side and these defenses were rendered useless by the fact he had the city guards on his side.

"My Sultana, we have to retreat. We cannot hold this position from both sides and we cannot stop the gates from opening. We must fall back to the palace and make our stand there." Captain Draganov proposed. I didn't like this plan, it meant leaving much of Konstantiniyye in the hands of looters and bandits posing as professional soldiers, on the other hand, considering our numbers and the fact we still don't know how far the Russians are, we couldn't just remain here. Retreating to the palace would mean we could defend Topkapi with the forces we had and hold out until the Russians arrived. Konstantiniyye and its people would suffer, but they were suffer even more if we were to be encircled and slaughtered here at the walls. If we retreated to the palace, Fatimah and I could at least guarantee that we will be around for long enough to repair the damages we have done to our ancient capital.

"Fine, men! Retreat to Topkapi Palace!" I gave the order and the Janissaries stormed down the stairs, clearing a path for us. The levies followed us as the city guards regrouped at the opening gates, joining forces with the Swedes. I realized something that moment, with Spartak Pasha in custody, the city guards have sided with Prince Adolf directly, meaning that he effectively has reinforcements. That does, however, introduce a new possibility - following Spartak Pasha and the traditionalists is one thing, following a foreign heathen Prince is another, some of the treacherous guards may turn back to our side as a result of this - unfortunately, I'm not sure how we could contact those potential loyalists, at least not until we're safely back in Topkapi Palace. The royal residence will serve as a fortress for us as we weather the siege and plan how to regain our city. We shall hold strong there.

* * *

Cannons were placed across the walls of Topkapi Palace, barricades reinforced the gates to ensure we can hold the line, and our loyalist troops patrolled the grounds, making Topkapi a fortress. These fortifications around us were the only things keeping us apart from the chaos outside - Swedes were ripping estates apart, they were dragging precious metals and gems out of homes, bazaars, and Mosques, and fires raged throughout the city. Konstantiniyye was in flames, a city being turned inside out by foreign looters. My city was in pain, a horrible mood, a defeated mood descended over Konstantiniyye after The Russo-Ottoman War and now, my dreary, hurt city was being consumed by a fiery, hungry Swedish monster. My people were suffering, and there was nothing I could do. My armies were devastated by Tsarina Anastasia, now, I had to wait for her to save me, holding out at the palace with the few soldiers and bodyguards we had. All the way, the sky was completely clear and bright, as if it was mocking me, as if this horror and suffering didn't even warrant a cloudy day. Fatimah and I were trying to do the right thing for The Ottoman Empire we didn't deserve this suffering and this constant disturbance.

"My Sultana-regent, the Sultan's room is secure. Xanthippi and eight of my men are with him." Captain Draganov reported. I was thankful for that, Abdullah Timur had to be safe above all else, if anything happened to him, then everything was in question. Spartak Pasha started all of this because he wanted to be regent of The Ottoman Empire, I was here because I married into the Ottoman dynasty, is Abdullah Timur dies in this chaos, then all of this was pointless. A cowardly uncle or cousin, someone who refused the succession and fled, would be trusted with the throne. The Ottoman Empire likely wouldn't survive under those conditions, perhaps a general or governor would commit a coup and keep the Empire intact under a different name, but, more likely, the Empire would fragment into various Sultanates, Shahdoms, Emirates, Christian Kingdoms, and other such states. Abdullah Timur cannot die, because if he were to die, then all of this would come crashing to pieces. The Ottoman Empire would collapse without the legitimacy and continuity of the Ottoman dynasty. Tsarina Anastasia would, no doubt, benefit the most from this collapse, seizing huge tracts of land from the fractured rump states, perhaps even taking Konstantiniyye. We were allies of circumstance right now, but I could not, would not allow that, my son shall survive and my Empire shall have a future.

"Thank you, Captain Draganov. I will go see him now." I told the Captain, officially, before walking towards the room, stopping Olga as we walked past each other so that I could whisper to her, truly talk to her. I was worried about her, the real Olga. I saw the chaos out there and I knew that the Janissary captain has a life outside of the one as slave soldier "Where is Nikolina? Did she make it inside the palace?"

"She was teaching at the Bulgarian school when the Swedes arrived. She's safe and secure. Thank you." Olga whispered in response, still relatively tense. The two of us knew each other for years at this point, working together and trusting each other professionally ever since the two of us plotted the assassination of Ibrahim Pasha, but Olga never quite forgave me for how I learned about her real life and Nikolina. I understand that, I followed her for no reason, I spied on her solely out of my own curiosity, and I made her feel like her whole life was in jeopardy, Olga definitely has a reason to be uncomfortable discussing her personal life now. I cared about her, I really did, and I was incredibly sorry for how I made her feel, but it wasn't enough. I gave Nikolina the chance to help her fellow Bulgarian and Balkan children in the Ottoman capital, but that wasn't enough either. Apologizing and pandering would not undo my mistakes, I made her feel exposed, I made her feel like her whole web of lies was going to fall apart, potentially with deadly circumstances, and by spying on her, I made her feel like I could hurt Nikolina too. Only time and continued repentance could heal those wounds. Therefore, I let Olga go, leaving her free to defend the palace and see the woman she loved. I sighed and went to go see my son, we all have our own complicated relationships to deal with.

Nobles cowered against the walls and whispered to themselves, worried about their estates, their property, and their lives, watching as Janissaries, officers, and servants carrying supplies all rushed through the halls. The palace was war ready and everyone knew that: chairs and tables were being taken out of the palace and thrown onto the barricades at the wall, sharpened beams of wood were placed at an angle behind the barriers, meaning that the Swedes would stumble over the barricades into deadly stakes, and gunpowder was moving from place to place, loading rifles and cannons everywhere. It was a strange site, watching as the luxurious and impressive capital of The Ottoman Empire was torn apart and rearranged into a defense bulwark, the last line of defense protecting us from the absolute greed and thirst for glory of the Crown Prince of Sweden.

"Mother! What is happening? They are saying that the city is burning!" Abdullah Timur demanded the moment I entered his room, even Xanthippi seemed taken aback at this outburst. I took note of his tone and his impatience, but I ignored it right now, there were much more important things to worry about right now than my son panicking and having a bad attitude during a tumultuous time. My son was much less practically dressed than I was, wearing an elaborate green, gold, red, and white long tunic, red leggings, and sandals, however, he was still small enough that Xanthippi could carry him should anything tragic happen. It will have to do. I sat down on Abdullah Timur's bed and decided to explain the situation to my son, letting the Sultan understand why this is happening to his country, his people. I wanted my son to understand so that we wouldn't resent me, I didn't want my only child to hate me. I say that, yet I cannot say that I don't hate him in some ways. I am selfish and I'm a hypocrite, but I want my relationship with my son to improve so I can look past his father and the circumstances around his birth. I want to be able to look at my son and not have to think about why he's here.

"Prince Adolf of Sweden has come to steal our riches and ruin our great cities. He comes with an army experienced by brutal conflict in The Holy Roman Empire, he comes with aspirations to be better than his warrior-conqueror father, and he comes with an invitation from Spartak Pasha. We wanted to hold him back at the gates, but the city guards betrayed us as well. So here we stand, guarding the palace, while Swedes and traitors sack our capital. The Janissaries and our recruits are here to protect you and your palace." I explained, solemnly. Prince Adolf is forever burdened with succession, he knows that his father is a great King, the leader of Sweden, the champion of the Protestant cause, and perhaps he'll even be Holy Roman Emperor if he manages to defeat the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies, all of that leaves Prince Adolf with massive shoes to fill. The smart thing to do would be to do what his father wants, to take Bremen despite the lengthy and difficult siege, to be dependable and distinguish himself in the western parts of The Holy Roman Empire.

Prince Adolf could have brought valuable cities such as Aachen, Dortmund, and Frankfurt under Swedish control - Aachen, the city where Charlemagne himself reigned, not only in Protestant hands, but in the hands of the Swedes, while the latter two are large and valuable Free Cities - bringing much needed wealth and trade to the Protestant cause. Prince Adolf could have reoccupied The Electoral Palatinate of the Rhine, undoing the damage the Habsburgs did to the Protestant leadership at the beginning of the war. Prince Adolf could have even pushed all the way south into Spanish Burgundy, distinguishing himself in battle against the famed Spanish Tercios, but he never did. Instead, Prince Adolf sought short term glory, abandoning the war and all common sense to raid a defenseless Konstantiniyye, bringing us to the current predicament. Prince Adolf may never have been as great as his father, but he still could have been great in his own right, not an equal successor, but a worthy one nonetheless. Instead, Adolf is burning a city far away from where he needs to be, and, in the process, he will lose men, lose prestige, and perhaps even lose his life when the Russians arrive, for the Russians will face a disorganized and undisciplined army that deteriorated into uncivilized vandals the moment they began looting and sacking the great capital of The Ottoman Empire. They are no longer the professional fighting force we feared, but they are still quite dangerous, that is why we must remain here and wait, our numbers too low to make a real stand against even an disorganized foe.

"Sweden? Spartak Pasha? This is ridiculous, you cannot even inspire enough loyalty amongst your underlings to keep them from conspiring with foreign powers! This never would have happened under father." My son huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at the wall, away from me, and blaming me on all of this. His false, and perhaps even dangerous, admiration of his father is beginning to turn my son against me. While it is true that Spartak Pasha was disloyal and conspiring with foreigners, based on the conversation Fatimah and I had with him in the cell, there was no way to inspire his loyalty. Spartak Pasha is a snake and he wanted power for himself, he was never going to be loyal to anyone, let alone two women, when he had the chance to rule on his very own. I declared a Jihad and I failed, rather than blaming that on the fact that the Russians possessed a stronger army and outmaneuvered us, he blames it on Christian upbringing, calling me a heathen. I chose Fatimah as my Grand Vizier, rather than recognizing her for her talents, Spartak Pasha called it an insult and an outrageous affront to tradition. I imprisoned him, rather than recognizing that his own plotting and coup attempts led to this, he calls me an usurper, as if I stole power when I'm merely regent for my own son. Ibrahim Pasha would have been an usurper, Spartak Pasha tried to be an usurper. They are disloyal because they are powerhungry, I cannot make them fall in line, nobody can, the only thing they are loyal to is their own authority.

"Your father was killed by assassins from the Levantine Guard. These assassins were cooperating with Spartak Pasha and Ibrahim Pasha before him, your father and I have been victims of the same schemes. The only difference is that I am still alive and I can stop this Abdullah Timur. You are my son, my only remaining family out of all this. I know you may not like me or understand me, but I am doing everything in my power to protect your Empire and your future. I am not a traitor and neither is Grand Vizier Fatimah. We love you and we care about you." I assured him, wanting his loyalty, wanting to love him and care about him the way I said I did. Regardless of my own complicated feelings towards him, I truly was fighting for his future. I was fighting against those who would misguide him and abuse him for their own power, like Spartak Pasha, I was fighting against those who would take apart his Empire to strengthen their own like Tsarina Anastasia, and I was fighting against those who would defile his cities for their own glory like Prince Adolf. I could not fight them all at once though, that is why I have called upon Tsarina Anastasia. If Spartak Pasha and Prince Adolf must join forces, then Anastasia and I shall join forces.

"Why would anyone want to kill my father? He waged war against Genoa, Theodoro, and Persia, he gained lands only for you to lose them. It was an accident, it had to be. Who would kill the victorious Sultan at his moment of triumph?" My son asked. I sighed, he was still blaming me for losing lands against the Russians, as if Suleiman III would have been a better ruler. The Tsardom of Russia did not attack while I was weak and poorly established, The Tsardom of Russia attacked a strong and functional Ottoman Empire at the peak of its borders, Suleiman III would not have, could not have, done any better than I did. Tsarina Anastasia is the same woman who ripped half of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth into her state and brought the other half under her influence, Tsarina Anastasia is the same woman who has established ties to states as far away as India, and Tsarina Anastasia is the same woman who wields some of the largest and deadliest armies Europe has ever seen. Suleiman III would have been crushed the same way that Spartak Pasha would have been crushed. I did just as well, if not better, as ruler of The Ottoman Empire during a war against Russia as anyone else.

"It wasn't an accident son. There is an unfortunate side to rulership, that is that everyone else will always be jealous of you. People crave power - nobles will try and regain ancient privileges, governors will dream of being independent hereditary Sultans in their own right, and generals will envision themselves as mighty warlords - sometimes, that dream of power can overpower loyalty. Your father expanded the Empire, but Ibrahim Pasha saw that you were only an infant, he saw that, if your father were to die, Ibrahim could be regent for as long as fifteen years. Reigning over our mighty Ottoman Empire for that long was an intoxicating idea for the former Grand Vizier, so, he betrayed you and your father. He and his collaborators, including Spartak Pasha, organized the assassination of your father and then attempted the coup. Fortunately, I was there, I stopped Ibrahim Pasha and took control as your regent. Fatimah bint Abdul soon joined me and I made her the Grand Vizier. We have lost Crimea and Caucasia, along with Moldavia, but we have gained Yemen, Oman, Najd, and the Persian Gulf coast of Arabia. We have lost land, yes, but we have also gained territories." I explained, telling my son the full story. I finished off with defending myself and Fatimah, finding myself using many of the same arguments that Fatimah used to convince me upon our return to Konstantiniyye.

"Lady Xanthippi, is this true?" Abdullah Timur turned around and asked the Greek woman who was once his nurse, now more of a guardian and a tutor. The Greek woman looked pensive for a moment, afraid to speak honestly in the presence of a ruler. She glanced at me and I nodded, allowing her to speak freely. I had no fear, I knew that everything I said was true and that Xanthippi was loyal. I may have a brutal rivalry with the Turkish traditionalists, but I do enjoy the support of many other groups in The Ottoman Empire. Balkan Christians broadly support me as they see me as one of their own, coming from a Greek Christian personality myself, even though mine came from Crimea. North African Arabs support me as well for I appointed one of their own as my Grand Vizier, finally, the Hejazi Arabs support us for increasing their power and influence in Arabia via our conquests.

"It is, my Sultan. Greedy men will try and take your power and influence, they will try to use you for their own gains, and they will be envious of your accomplishments. Spartak Pasha was part of the coup against your father because he was jealous and greedy, now, for those same reasons, he has invited the Swedes here to strike against your mother." Xanthippi answered, confirming my words as true. My son looked down from the Greek woman, now looking down at the floor. Wordlessly, he walked over to the bed, allowing me to help him up so that he could sit down. There, Abdullah Timur sat next to me, small, confused, and scared, his little mind thinking and processing all that we have just discussed. I was sad too, this isn't how I wanted my son to learn the first of his difficult life lessons, my son loved being the Sultan, he loved that his father was great before him, but now, he was learning about the reality of ruling The Ottoman Empire. I put my hand on his shoulder and, despite everything, I felt like a mother for the first time in my life.

"I'm sorry mother, I didn't know the truth." Abdullah Timur eventually admitted. Our relationship was still strained, both by distance and by my own complicated feelings, but this was progress. Konstantiniyye was in flames and The Ottoman Empire was in a bad state, having been defeated by the Russians and now appearing weak in front of the rest of the world, but my son, my Sultan, now believed in me. Fatimah and I would do everything to restore our Empire and ensured that Abdullah Timur grows up to inherit the finest and strongest state possible. Then, once that happens, the two of us shall remain with him, as loyal advisors, as trusted confidants, and as his family. The city was under siege, but at least now, we can be sure that we are unified within Topkapi Palace. Division and disunity within the walls of our palace will doom us all, only together can we join forces with the Russians and turn back the Swedes.

* * *

Fortress Topkapi Palace survived its first night undisturbed, the Swedes evidently content to spend the first day locking down the city with the help of the guards, looting while they fanned across the streets. This was both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that we had more time to build up and occupy our defensive works around the castle, ready for a brutal struggle to defend the city, however, the curse was that the Swedes now had control of the rest of the city. Fatimah and I were set on protecting the palace, however, the Russians would be locked out of the city. Anastasia and I envisioned this as us battling a siege, however, as things are now, the Russians will have to lay siege to the walls while us Turkish forces are trapped in Topkapi Palace. This was not ideal, I would prefer the Russians to be able to pour in and flush the Swedes out. I did not want to see my city face foreign looting and a foreign siege at the same time, even if said siege was ultimately to relieve the suffering within the walls.

"Fatimah," I greeted my Grand Vizier once I found her, seeing the Tunisian woman ordering around a group of soldiers, the brilliant woman ensuring that supplies, gunpowder, and food rations made it where they need to. Fatimah saw our failure at the Siege of Erivan, she saw how our main defensive weapons were neutralized simply by the Russians meeting someone who knew about the mortars, using geography to effectively nullify those weapons. Now, my Carthaginian wife wanted to avenge our loss at the last siege, micromanaging everything to ensure that the palace is virtually impenetrable. I loved that she was doing this, I had nothing but pride for her wonderful mind applying itself, and I trusted that the Swedes and their treacherous guard allies would find breaking past these defenses to be borderline impossible, however, I feared that this wasn't the right course of action. We can make Topkapi Palace unbreakable, we can spend weeks here unharmed while the Swedes sack the city, but, if the Russians are trapped outside the walls of Konstantiniyye and we're trapped within the walls of Topkapi Palace, how could we ever coordinate our efforts and actually retake my capital city?

"Yes, Helena?" she asked, focusing all her attention on me. I hated the fact that I was going to tell her this, I hated the fact that all our planning and all our defensive posturing may end up being all for nothing. We could not have held the main gate in those circumstances, the whole army of Prince Adolf was pouring into the city and the city guards were occupying the gate itself. Now, however, with their combined forces spread throughout the city, forced to occupy it, perhaps we could try the very same trick on them. Our forces were enough to hold a narrow gate and, once Russian troops began pouring into Konstantiniyye, the Swedes and the guards would be doomed, unable to cope with a whole army pouring into the city. Modern armies were not designed to fight in narrow corridors and streets, they were designed to fight in organized squares and formations in a wide line, preferably in a flat field or with your forces on a hill fighting an enemy rushing up against them. Urban warfare was chaotic, disorganized, and unnatural, the Swedes' professionalism would not help them here.

"I fear holding Topkapi Palace may be the wrong choice. We have the compound fortified and protected, but how will the Russians reach us? Perhaps it would be smarter to strike out and take control of a gate?" I proposed, voicing my thoughts. A silent moment descended over the two of us, Fatimah thinking deeply over the implications. Taking a gate would allow us to let the Russians in, reoccupying the city more easily, however, that would also leave Topkapi Palace vulnerable, allowing Prince Adolf to sack and pillaged my residence. I truly didn't know what the right decision was, that is why I wanted Fatimah's advice. The Sultana-regent and the Grand Vizier working together, thinking together, planning, this is how The Ottoman Empire should be, must be. The silence, however, was far too short. A rumbling explosion shook the walls around the palace - the Swedish were beginning their move on the palace, shaking the walls. Suddenly, it didn't matter if we should guard the palace or take the gates, we were under siege and it was now a matter of survival.

"We'll fight to hold the palace as long as we can. If it becomes impossible to maintain this position, we'll break out and take the gates, waiting for the Russians." Fatimah announced, making a snap decision. I nodded, accepting this and agreeing with it. Protecting and holding the palace was an excellent priority, after all, we lived here and this was the capital of The Ottoman Empire, however, if the palace was going to get overwhelmed anyway, then we would go with my idea, taking control of a gate and waiting for the Russian Army of Crimea to arrive, waiting for our enemies turned saviors to arrive. I followed Fatimah as we rushed up some stairs onto a rooftop, overlooking the courtyards of Topkapi Palace and watching our men as they sprang into action. The artillerymen at the top of the wall began blasting off the cannons, devastating the Swedish raiders, our infantry manned the barricades, and Janissaries assumed command. All the planning and preparation had to count for something because now, Topkapi Palace was about to be tested.

Cannons fired atop the wall, shooters fired their guns through the barricades, blasting scorching gunpowder into the faces of the Swedish raiders, and those who managed to avoid being shoot were met with the pikes, swords, and scimitars of our defenders. Our troops were equipped with a wide variety of weapons, the consequence of using levies - some troops were Bulgarians and Greeks from nearby areas equipped with more European weapons, others were Turks armed with their Kilij scimitars, some troops were armed with weapons scavenged out of the palace arsenal - but all these various weapons were being equipped against the allegedly professional and uniform Swedish with impressive results. Topkapi Palace was holding strong even as the invaders and looters were attempting to pour through the gates to ransack our palace, our seat of power.

A barrage of Swedish cannons turned out first barricade into dust, therefore, blocked by the smoke of their own cannons, the Swedes rushed into the next defenses, finding themselves impaled on blast from the cannons shattered our spikes into pieces, sending our men recoiling from fear of being showered in deadly sharp wooden splinters. The Swedish forces took advantage of the inexperience and fear of my men to charge the second barricade, suffering heavy losses against the fortified positions of our men. The Swedes, however, enjoyed superior numbers than I did in Konstantiniyye, thus, they could afford to take greater casualties, at least until the Russians arrived to help me liberate my city. The second barricade was overwhelmed, leading to our second line of defense to unlesh their guns and cannons on the Swedes pouring out of the gate into the palace entrance. Swedes were powering into the palace grounds only to be gunned down, but they kept coming and coming - all the while our cannons were firing on the walls but that simply wasn't enough - I saw the green uniforms of the palace guards as they began joining their foreign interloper allies, the traitors adding to the foreign numbers overwhelming our soldiers.

We were still fighting, we were still killing Swedes, and we were holding our rear defenses, however, the fact is, we were incredibly outnumbered and prolonging this conflict would only result in more death and more suffering, something I was devoted to avoiding. We cannot hold the palace forever, it is unfortunate, but I feel that our best hopes lie with the Russians. We must join forces with Tsarina Anastasia and her army to reclaim Konstantiniyye. Holding the palace meant seeing men from two countries with no reason to fight drenched in each other's blood, it meant men tripping over the corpses of their comrades and foes alike to battle for each and every foot, it meant the grand entrance to my palace was reduced to a killing ground. At this rate, fighting over the grounds of Topkapi would cause more damage, more bloodshed than if the Swedes simply looted the palace. Tears filled my eyes out of a combination of the bloodshed and having to make the decision to abandon my home - with the loss of Theodoro, this is the second time this year than I'm leaving behind a place I call home - and I locked eyes with Fatimah, silently asking for her permission. My Grand Vizier nodded and I gave the order.

"Men! We are going to go overwhelmed. We are going to break out of Topkapi Palace at another exit and then we are going to take control of one of the city gates. We shall hold it until the Russians arrive!" I gave the order and my troops began responding. The levies broke off from their position and assembled as a guard the center of the palace while Fatimah and I rushed off the rooftop onto the ground level. Our artillery crew disabled the cannons at the walls to prevent the Swedes from taking them before joining our troops, meanwhile, a brave group of Janissaries held the gates, fighting and dying in a last stand to buy us time to escape. I saw Captain Draganov ushering Nikolina, Xanthippi, Abdullah Timur, and a number of nobles into our group, only then did we begin moving. Janissaries sacrificed themselves at the main gate while we escaped through a secret exit in the walls, only fighting a token force of Swedes on the way. Entrances and tunnels like these were used by various Ottoman Princes, brothers, uncles, and sons to gain entrance and control of the palace before their rivals to the throne in the event of a chaotic succession, now, however, they served as our safest way to escape.

The chaotic Ottoman succession is, hopefully, a thing of the past with Abdullah-Timur as the sole heir at the moment. As he grows older and begins having sons of his own, I will advise him to effectively practice primogeniture, keeping his various sons within the capital, educating them here rather than making them earn experience as provincial governors, in order to avoid bloodshed. This particular crisis over the regency in his youth, while not exactly the same as a succession scandal, will likely inspire my son to keep a keen eye on his heirs, never again wanting to see Konstantiniyye in this state. That is, however, counting on the fact that all of us survive this, which is by no means guaranteed.

We soon found a gate on the northern side of the city, taking control of it from only a small group of city guards. We took control of the walls above this gate, the towers around it, and set up barricades facing the interior of the city. Fatimah and I stood on top of one of these towers, seeing the chaos consuming our city. The more distant parts of city, across the Bosporus, were mostly unharmed, but the central part of the city was in flames. I watched, in horror, as one of the minarets of a nearby Mosque collapsed. Mosques, palaces, private residences, nothing was safe from the Swedes, the whole city was being ravaged. Is this what Prince Adolf wanted? Is this his idea of glory? I don't see how this makes him his father's equal. The best possible outcome for him is returning to Stockholm with a convoy of wagons carrying Ottoman treasures, but Bremen will still have to be taken, his troops will be exhausted from travelling all the way to Konstantiniyye and living off the land ever since they've crossed the border into our lands, and Sweden will be forced to raise a whole new army for the campaign in western Germany, all of this occurring in an age where sieges and constant warfare have spread plague and disease throughout northern Italy, the German lands, and to the Swedish armies in those areas. More than likely though, the arrival of the Russians will lead to anarchy on the Swedish side. The disorganization and the looting they have gone through these last few days will result in massive casualties and losing much of the loot they have traveled so far to capture. Prince Adolf will not become a glorious Prince and the equal to his father out of all this, he may not even survive this.

"How many men must die to entertain Prince Adolf's ego?" I asked, bitterly as Xanthippi handed me my son. I held a silent, scared Abdullah Timur as Fatimah and I talked. The Sultan, the regent, and the Grand Vizier, the three most powerful people in The Ottoman Empire were united, but there was nothing to show for it, our capital was burning and effectively under foreign occupation, with us depending on yet another foreign force to save our capital. We have fought so hard, done so much to usher in an era of greatness, yet right now, The Ottoman Empire is at an all time low.

"Evidently more, as the Swedes are marching towards us." Fatimah pointed out and we saw an organized column of professional Swedish soldiers marching towards us, under the command of one of Prince Adolf's older and experienced commanders - an older man with a white beard sitting on an equally white stallion - this would be a difficult battle. Our forces, depleted even further after the fighting and the sacrifice at Topkapi Palace, were in no condition to battle against a highly professional Swedish army under competent leadership. Thus, here we stood, against the gates of Konstantiniyye, the whole city in flames, up against one of the deadliest and most modern fighting forces in Europe. The Russians and their allies annihilated our armies in the Caucasus, Crimea, and the Balkans, but those same Russians fear the Swedes, preparing for war against those mighty armies. If our greatest and most experienced armies could not defeat the Russians, how could our ragtag group of defenders stand any chance against the Swedes?

Then, as it seemed a dark cloud of doom was about to descend over Konstantiniyye, a soldier cried from the wall.

"The Russians are approaching!"

* * *

Well, a bit of a cliffhanger, but this has been chapter thirty-six of The Legacy of The Romans. In two weeks time, we will have Russian chapter detailing Anastasia's arrival in Konstantiniyye. I hope you're looking forward to that.

One more thing, this is not essential to the story itself, but I thought I would mention it regardless. I am an American and, obviously, there has been a lot of protesting and discussion of civil rights and racism in the US these last few weeks since George Floyd was murdered, there has also been some who have used the protests as an excuse to go looting in many major US cities. Given that the climax of this story has featured a major city on fire, references to the Swedes as looters, and even the raiding of noble estates, I just want to clarify something: this climax and ending for the story has been in place for months, this is not something inspired my current events. I apologize if this is a bit triggering or hits too close to home given all that is going on in the world, but I started writing this story over a year ago, I was not going to delay the final few chapters because of some similarities with real world events.

If you do care about my opinions on the protests, I made a paragraph or two about them in the latest chapter of Black Adamah a week ago. Otherwise, that's all I have to say.


	37. The Return of The Byzantines

So this is going to sound like the off-topic ramblings of a lonely madwoman, but it will circle back to Romans in a minute. Today is sunday, this morning, I posted chapter seven of Black Adamah, I played some Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, and I wasn't really in much of a mood to write today. Then, I went and watched a few episodes of the Mandalorian documentary on Disney Plus. I liked the show to begin with, but this documentary has given me a much greater appreciation of the show, just seeing the care and understanding of Star Wars put into the show, from Filoni, Favreau, Deborah Chow, Taika, Famuyiwa and the whole team there. I even ended up watching the episodes on technology, practical effects, the set, and score, things I'm not usually into. The conversations, thought process and commentary in that documentary has me feeling inspired when it comes to this story. I see a mental picture of Konstantiniyye in flames, I see the Swedes marching at the Turks up against the gates with just a token force, and I see the arriving Russians, foreigners and recent enemies. There is uneasiness and unknown vibe to this event and, after spending a few hours watching and listening to people far more talented and creative than I am, I want to explore that and get into it with this Russia chapter, the middle part of the climax.

I know that's a long author's note but I just wanted to give a bit of an insight into what I've been thinking about and exploring in the lead-up to this chapter. I figured that, if you've been reading this much of my story, you probably wouldn't mind hearing a little bit about me, and if I'm wrong, well, I'm sure you've already skipped this whole author's note anyway. That's all I have, so, without further delay, the chapter.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXVII.

The Return of The Byzantines.

* * *

Byzantine brides have come to Russia, both from The House Palaiologos and The House Komnenos, but a Russian monarch has never been to Constantinople. We called the city Tsargrad, the city of the Caesar, cradle of The Roman Empire, yet here I am, the first Rurikovich to see it. The Roman Empire, born out of the mixture of the Latin and Hellenic world at the peak of antiquity, began a legacy, a legacy which survived even when Rome itself finally succumbed to the waves of constant barbarians and internal upheavals. Constantinople, named for the first Emperor to tolerate Christianity, represented a major transformation for the Roman Empire, the east was Greek once more. The heart of the ancient Greek world had been cities like Athens, Corinth, and Sparta, but that all changed with Alexander the Great, the man who shifted the Greek world eastward, into Thrace, into Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, and even, for a time, Persia. Constantinople represented this change, centered at the confluence of Europe and Asia, the confluence of the Greek world.

The world, however, was not entirely Greek. The Byzantine Empire stood strong, even as numerous groups came and went, changing the ethnic make up at its borders, these groups would include the Slavs. Converting these Slavs to Christianity was a major priority for the Byzantine Empire - even then, centuries before the Schism officially occurred, the Christianity in the east was taking a radically different form than the Christianity of Rome in the west - and, in the process, an alphabet was created, the Cyrillic alphabet. This alphabet, created by the Byzantines for the Bulgarians, represents the first link between Constantinople and Russia. The next link comes from the Byzantines' attempts to convert the Russians themselves. The Medieval Russians, which the Byzantines called Varangians, would begin cooperating with the Emperor in Constantinople, with them lending their name to the Varangian Guard, the largely Nordic protectors of the Byzantine Emperor. The third link came with the before-mentioned marriage links.

All these links, combined with the religions inheritance of Muscovy once the church in Constantinople fell under Turkish influence, made Russia the natural heir of the Byzantine Empire. The connections between Russia and Constantinople lie in our history, our religion, and even our blood, so imagine what I feel when the first time I lay eyes on Constantinople, it is in flames. Moscow may be the true third heir of Rome, but Constantinople was always the second Rome and it always will be, regardless of the fact that The Ottomans now rule it. Yes, they are Sunni while the Byzantines were Christians, but both the east and west of the Roman Empire were pagans before anything else, that can all change. Russia is the heir of Rome, but The Ottoman Empire carries part of that legacy, whether I like it or not, that is why I have to save Constantinople. Konstantiniyye may be a strange and foreign name, the minarets may have produced an alien skyline, and the religion may be different, but the Byzantines would no doubt say the same about the name Tsargrad, the turnip domes of our snow capped churches, and more unique customs of The Russian Orthodox Church. The Turks are no more different to the Byzantines than we are, therefore, we both share a piece of that legacy, the legacy of the Romans, no foreign power, no Germanic barbarians, no foreign vandals can change that.

The Ottomans are not my allies, their lands are still lands I covet, but as heirs of Rome, our struggles and conflicts should be between ourselves. The lands and the riches of The Ottoman Empire will remains their lands and riches until I reclaim them for the true heirs of Rome, not the Austrians, not the Persians, and certainly not the Swedes. Prince Adolf's raid is audacious and stupid, showcasing either ignorance or disregard for Sweden's strategy and objectives in the German struggle. These so-called champions of Protestantism, rather than fighting alongside their Lutheran brothers in northern Germany, have pursued loot and glory in lands they have no business being in. I am going to put an end to this, I am going to help Sultana Helena reclaim her city, and I am going to destroy this Swedish army in the process, fortunately, I have a brilliant and overlooked military mind at my side.

"Turn here! The main gate is sealed but they've taken control of a secondary entrance! March forward!" Isabella Theresa gave the order, spotting the handiwork of Helena and Fatimah's forces, our circumstantial allies. The Army of Crimea followed her orders, knowing that the Austrian woman was a representative of my military bureaucracy. I was growing confident in her, Austria rejected her and her attempts to join forces with the Palatinate proved fruitless and got her exiled for her troubles, but my Russia gave her a chance, and she was using it wisely. Isabella Theresa von Neunkirchen seemed natural in command of troops, but she still had to prove herself in battle. As our troops filed through the gates, joining forces with Sultana Helena's ragtag defenders, we were confronted with a real challenge, a marching column of Swedish forces advancing towards us. My blue eyes darted to their leadership, searching for Prince Adolf, however, I found that I was up against a greater threat. Field Marshal Karl Ottosson was in command of these Swedish forces.

I should have seen something like this coming, I could see Prince Adolf's inadequacies the moment he entered Moscow, there is no way his father wouldn't see that. Adolphus Rex, therefore, paired his son with an old, competent, and experienced leader, Ottosson. The Field Marshal did not actually have the authority to question the Prince and his decisions, after all, he was not a royal, but he could make sure that there is actual strategy and competence to the Prince's schemes. This raid on Constantinople was foolish and abandoned the fight in Germany, but the Field Marshall managed to wrangle together a professional and disciplined force out of this chaos, once which was about to meet us in combat. The disciplined and highly modern Swedes which have dominated the German battlefields, revitalizing the Protestant cause after defeats in Bohemia and in the Palatinate, up against my ruthless and experienced armies, those which gave proven themselves against the Poles and the Turks. That was this conflict, in theory anyway, in reality, these were the Swedes that have just been brought back under heel by their Field Marshal after carelessly looting a city, meanwhile, my Army of Crimea was a new force of fresh troops from a newly conquered region. This was not the epic showdown between Russia and Sweden quite yet, this was pointless bloodshed in a far away land.

"Russians! Forward, to Tsargrad!" I gave the order and our forces advanced against the Swedes, about to meet them in urban warfare. I glanced at Sultana Helena and Grand Vizier Fatimah as they joined us, the communication issue coming to light. We all know plenty of languages, I know Russian, Georgian, and a few important and prestige languages of Europe, meanwhile, Helena knows Turkish, her native Greek, and Arabic due to that being the religious language of Muslims. We don't share a common language. Isabella Theresa, while fluent in Russian and German, doesn't have a way of translating for us either. This will be a complication, but it is hardly our immediate concern, for Russian and Swedish pikes and guns met in battle. The Swedish armies were very aggressive, fighting brutally at close range, even resorting to hand-to-hand combat when necessary, but us Russians were ruthless as well. Crimeans, Goths, Greeks, Tatars, Cossacks, Circassians Ruthenians, and Russians were all represented in the Army of the Crimea, a diverse army, but on the battlefield, my troops were unified.

The language of command was Russians, their weapons were Russian, their flags and uniforms were Russian, everything came together in a perfect representation of my Tsardom. Hundreds of different groups, ethnicities, and cultures composed by Tsardom, but in the end, it was the Tsardom of Russia and they had to be a unified, cohesive force. The language, the church, and the military must all be Russian to link the people, to make the people bend to my absolute rule. The Army of the Crimea did, thus, under the command of a newly arrived Austrian noblewoman and a young Tsarina nowhere near experienced as my generals, we were able to defeat the Swedes in battle, despite their reputation. Disunity, of course, played a factor - the Swedish troops must be torn, Prince Adolf is their Crown Prince and future King, but he is clearly and woefully unfit to lead an army, this whole adventure is proof of that, for some, however, their loyalty is enough and they go along with the insanity, inflicting terror on Constantinople, others, however, would rather follow Ottosson and his experience - we are not fighting a single body of Swedish troops, we are fighting a conflicted column of men in unfamiliar lands on a strange mission.

They lacked supplies, they lacked unity, they lacked true leadership, thus, faced with thirty-five thousand Russians pouring throw the gates into the city, the Swedish lines broke and Russian troops began tearing through Swede after Swede. Field Marshal Ottosson, seeing this, called a retreat, moving his forces deeper into the city, letting the rest of my army pour inside. The Army of the Crimea was here to reclaim Constantinople. Purple banners and golden flags with black eagles filled the skies as my troops took up positions inside of the gates, ready to advance deeper into the city and expel the Swedes once and for all. The soldiers were ready and proven, I believed in them, but there was more to do before we could reclaim the city. First things first, Helena and I had to figure out what we were going to do. The Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire no doubt knew what she had to do and how to reclaim her city, but she didn't have the troops to do it. I did, therefore, retaking the Ottoman capital is my mission, nevertheless, I want to follow her plan, I recognized that I didn't know this city the way that Helena did, I couldn't predict where Prince Adolf and his forces would be centered, Helena and Fatimah, meanwhile, likely had an idea.

"Captain Papadimitriou, translate for us." Isabella Theresa summoned over a Crimean Greek officer from Sevastopol to communicate with Crimea. The man came over and bowed before me then turned to Helena and bowed, almost as low, before her. This was a clear demonstration of loyalty - Papadimitriou would have been born in The Principality of Theodoro, raised in The Ottoman Empire, and now serves The Tsardom of Russia. The low bow before me shows deep respect, he still had respect and loyalty towards his former liege, Sultana Helena, but his true loyalties are with Russia now. It was awkward to communicate through a mere officer, loyal or not, but it would have to do, besides, we are merely here to defend our allies and deny the Swedes the gold and glory they could get by looting Constantinople. I waited, patiently, as Helena and Fatimah exchanged a few words in Turkish before the Sultana-regent faced my Captain, now speaking in Greek. The two women in charge of The Ottoman Empire figured out what they wanted and were now ready to share.

"The Sultana says that the priority is to retake their palace. They suspect that a traitor and prisoner, a man called Spartak Pasha, has been freed from the dungeons and is now commanding the city guards, who are now likely centered on the palace." the Captain translated. Spartak Pasha was mentioned in the letters Helena sent me, evidently he is the one who contacted the Swedes to begin with, wanting to use this coup as an attempt to take power for a reactionary faction within The Ottoman Empire. Knowing all that, Helena's suspicions are understandable, this traitor likely is in command of the palace grounds, then, retaking the palace is indeed a pressing matter. We will defeat the traitor and put an end to the coup, solidifying Helena's reign, at that point, we shall turn to Prince Adolf and his Swedes, expelling the foreigners once their whole purpose for being here is gone.

"Very well, we will retake the palace and then focus on the Swedes." I gave the order and glanced at Isabella Theresa, my second in command for this operation, she nodded, a silent sign of her agreement. Russian troops and the Turks under Helena's command marched side by side towards Topkapi Palace, the heart of The Ottoman Empire. This was a remarkable situation, not only was I the first Russian monarch to see Tsargrad itself, but I was willingly about to walk into Topkapi Palace, the seat of power of the country that had been Russia's biggest and most dangerous rival just a few months prior. I am the reason that Topkapi Palace was able to fall, sending Lady Krystyna to the Balkans to lead a combined Polish-Lithuanian, Transylvanian, and Portuguese force in Moldavia, destroying the Ottoman Balkan Ordusu in the process. Now, here I was, marching to save my former enemies from my future opponents, Europe is certainly a fascinating web of politics, but this incident is unique even by those standards. This is not a declared war, this is not an alliance, this is one man, defying all sense and strategy, to seize an opportunity for gold and glory, without ever considering the price of that. Now, The Tsardom of Russia and The Ottoman Empire were fighting together, fighting to deny Crown Prince Adolf the vile opportunity he so wanted. This was not a battle the Swedes would win.

* * *

The defenses of Topkapi Palace were already worn down and destroyed by the Swedes and city guards who had taken it earlier. Discarded cannons and supply carts were scattered around the palace gates, leftovers of the Swedish siege. The many corpses of the last battle - Janissaries, Ottoman levies, Swedish soldiers, and Constantinople's city guards - all filled a nearby ditch dug in the gardens. The jealous guards were setting the Janissary barracks alike while tensions grew between the guards and the Swedes. The guards may have betrayed Sultana Helena and Grand Vizier Fatimah, but they were still loyal to The Ottoman Empire, they didn't like seeing these foreigners, these vandals looting their palace. The treacherous guards, however, could not stop it, because they failed to account for one thing: the fact that Constantinople was defenseless meant the faction behind the coup had no way of getting rid of the Swedes, Prince Adolf's army was the only one here before Isabella Theresa and I arrived with the Army of Crimea.

It was obvious that Helena's limited forces put up a valiant struggle to hold onto the palace for as long as possible, but it's not possible to defend this place against a real army - that's what the real city walls are for - that was now our advantage. The bulk of the Swedish forces were scattered throughout the city, now, we just had to face city guards mixed up with some Swedish forces. Our troops marched past shattered barricades and bloody, destroyed palisades, coming face to face with the Turkish guards of Constantinople. The Austrian noblewoman and I watched as, one by one, anyone who dared challenge the Russian armies was slaughtered, a brilliant testament to our armies' power. Prince Adolf's forces and these mere city guards are not representative of the modern and competitive armies of Europe, but I already say how my troops performed against the Poles, Lithuanians, and Ottomans, I didn't need another test, I was content to be impressed. The Army of the Crimea would get the chance to prove itself in real battle once day, there was no need to rush it.

My next major war was going to be against The Kingdom of Sweden, their real, well supplied armies in Europe, not these rogue adventurers under Prince Adolf - his blunders are not representative, what would be more representative is a proper army under the command of someone like Field Marshal Ottosson, though it doesn't seem like we shall see this in Constantinople - that would be quite a challenge. A challenge that would play out in Karelia, Ingermanland, Estonia, and Livonia, Prussia and Pomerania in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and likely into the German lands where the Swedes were deeply involved in the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants. All the while, I would wage minor wars in Central Asia and Siberia, pushing deeper into untamed lands against the Hordes of the steppe. Beyond that, perhaps I would wage war against the Turks once again, or perhaps I would cement myself as a European monarch by waging foreign wars, fighting to establish a balance of power that favored Russia. Lady Krystyna would be an excellent ally in all this, establishing herself in Bohemia as well as her efforts in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, expanding Russia's reach and influence. My armies would carry my greatness far and wide, but first, they had to actually take control of Topkapi Palace, defeating the city guards and dethroning this Spartak Pasha.

Our troops made it through the entrance and then split in two, some going left and others going right, clearing the path for our cannons. Our artillery blasted apart the city guards, sending shrapnel in the sky, shattering their defenses, and damaging parts of the palace. I glanced at Sultana Helena and watched her cringe, seeing her home getting blown apart, but she did not object - she knew that this was a necessarily evil, our cannons could clear out Spartak Pasha's men far quicker than bloody, desperate hand-to-hand combat - besides, as soon as it had happened, the moment was over and there was something else to focus on. The Swedes and city guards fell back to the palace proper, defending the building itself in a suicidal final action. They knew that they had nowhere to go, my army was large and well supplied, more than capable of taking Constantinople, there was no escape for these scattered, separated Swedish remnants and mere urban militiamen, therefore, they retreated into the palace, deciding that, if they were going to die, they would inflict maximum casualties while doing so.

I sighed, not about to spring the trap. I knew that this was Helena's palace and home, but I also knew that she could rebuild. She may not like what I'm about to do, but she'll understand that rebuilding her palace is a worthy cost given that the alternative is to lose more and more men while the Swedes get to spend more time sacking and burning her city and the traitor, Spartak Pasha, commands Topkapi Palace. I ordered my cannons to fire into the palace. I watched as walls were blasted to pieces, as windows shattered all across the palace, and as deadly hellfire cleansed the halls of traitors and vandals. The smoke cleared, revealing that the trap was utterly destroyed, along with this whole corridor. I watched as Sultana Helena turned around, along with her son - the future Sultan - with Fatimah coming over to comfort them, the Arabic woman glaring at me but either unwilling or unable to protest my methods. This was never going to end with Topkapi Palace unscathed, the grounds were trashed and damaged when the Swedes took control of it and now, they were utterly devastated by our efforts to retake it. It isn't my fault that her home became a battleground, I didn't start this fight, but I am going to finish it.

"The Turks will defend the grounds from any Swedish counterattack, we'll take the palace itself. Tell the men to leave Spartak Pasha alive though, we'll hand him over to Helena for judgement." I explained to Isabella Theresa, coming up with a quick excuse as to why Sultana Helena and Fatimah were not joining us, their men remaining to guard them, weary of entering an enclosed space with the foreign army who just defeated The Ottoman Empire a few months prior. I watched as Isabella Theresa divided up our forces - forces which were already fairly divided, much of our infantry, all of our cavalry, and all the artillery we didn't need were still outside of the walls, encircling the city and ensuring that Prince Adolf and the Swedes could not escape, after all, getting all thirty-five thousand of my men through this city was borderline impossible with these narrow streets and tight palace grounds to operate in - into small raiding parties to take control of each part of the palace. One group would seize control of the dungeons, one group each would go to the east and west wings of the palace, while Isabella Theresa and I would accompany the main group that would take control of the throne room. The artillery we did have with us would remain outside, both to support Helena's forces and because it was improbably to transport cannons through the inside of a palace.

I stepped over the destroyed walls and carefully found a stable footing between the debris of the walls, shattered glass, and the corpses of defenders. The tile floors beneath my boots were still coated in both dust from the fallen walls and ash from the explosions of the cannonballs, but I still followed the men through the palace, Lady Neunkirchen at my side. We were both dressed in the green, red, and black uniforms trimmed in gold and purple of the Russian armies, for they were far more pragmatic than dresses here and they showed us as the commanders of this army, thus, we were dressed like soldiers, walking alongside soldiers, and present on the battlefield, this showed a special kind of bravery I felt like. Queens or Empresses leading their troops is rare enough, but to actually be there, marching with the troops, dressed like them, walking through the same ransacked and looted palace hallways as they were, that was almost unheard of. Isabella Theresa and I were doing something unique for women today, solely commanding a large army and being right there as the city was taken. This felt like something special, the only good thing to come out of this whole strange disaster. Sweden should have nothing to do with The Ottoman Empire, especially not attacking them, yet here is Prince Adolf, and because of that, I have to step in the defend my former enemies, otherwise, the Europeans and the Persians will be bold enough to carve up The Ottoman Empire, taking lands I covert. I am grateful that the Austrian noblewoman and I have the chance to prove ourselves as military commanders in our own right, but I am not happy about all of this happening during such brutal, pointless bloodshed.

There were city guards in the throne room, but they did not attack us, they laid down their weapons and backed away, surrendering in front of an overwhelming Russian force. These guards got down on their knees and put their arms behind their heads, submitting to our judgement, my eyes scanned the room, finding that only two men were still standing, both of them in front of the throne. One, I suspected, was Spartak Pasha, the man was wearing a green tunic and matching trousers with black leather boots and a black chestplate over his tunic, a scimitar in a scabbard at his hip. His hair and beard had grown long, evidence that he had only just been liberated from a prison cell and he knew that Helena would want to put him back, if not worse. The other man was a merely translator, a Turkish clerk who happened to knew Russian due to doing extensive business on the Black Sea.

"Great Tsarina Anastasia of Russia, you have truly defeated Helena, decimated her armies, you do not need to fight for her. You do not even need to fight at all, just return to Moscow, enjoy your new territories in Crimea and Caucasia, enjoy a generous sum of Ottoman gold I will provide you with, and allow me to restore order and stability in The Ottoman Empire. I will not defy your borders, I will not make alliances with the Swedes - I see now that Prince Adolf is a just as much of a scourge upon the Turkish people and Constantinople as he is upon Sultana Helena, he is no friend of mine anymore - I will not even interfere with your influence over the heathen Serbs and Bulgarians. I will simply rule Constantinople as I see fit until Sultan Abdullah Timur is old enough to rule. I will not ask you to defend me as Helena did, you and I will be free of each other." Spartak Pasha said through his translator. I narrowed my eyes, Helena was right, this vile creature really is a schemer, even now, as my troops are in front of him, in the throne room, while his guards surrender, he thinks he can still get me to leave, to tolerate him on the throne simply because of some empty promises and false sincerity. I am not foolish enough to trust Spartak Pasha, I am not going to fall for the desperate attempts of a snake trying to survive despite his errors and mistakes.

"You are offering me nothing that Sultana Helena has not already given me. She did not ask me to defend her borders, I offered it in the Treaty of Konstantinovskaya because I want to annex your pathetic little empire piece by piece. Constantinople will be in Russian hands once more, rechristened Tsargrad and strengthening Russia's connection to our Roman predecessors. The Slavs in the Balkans shall join their Russian brethren in my state, as has already been laid out with my religious influence over Serbia and Bulgaria. Not even the Turkish heartlands in Anatolia shall be free of Russia's grasp, joining our Balkan possessions with our Caucasian ones. I do not defend you out of generosity, I defend you out of my own self interest, therefore, why would I trust you? You have invited my greatest enemies, the Swedes to support your coup, you have proven yourself duplicitous by betraying Sultana Helena, and now, you insult me by assuming I am stupid enough to fall for this pathetic scheme of yours. I will have none of it. You are under arrest Spartak Pasha, Sultana Helena shall decide your fate." I barked out, watching as the translator grew more and more uneasy as he continued, fearing that Spartak Pasha would lash out at him.

The Traitor was silent after he heard my speech, then, he confirmed the translator's fears by reaching for his scimitar, but it was not for the translator. Captain Papadimitriou rushed forward, trying to stop Spartak Pasha, but it was too late, the man had impaled himself by his sword. His coup had failed, his final plea for survival had been fruitless, thus, Spartak Pasha preferred suicide to failure. The snake died a hypocrite, he has opposed Sultana Helena with religious rhetoric, yet his final act had been the sin of suicide. I am Russian Orthodox, I don't know what Islam says about suicide, but I don't think they look kindly at it, nevertheless, that didn't stop Spartak Pasha from becoming yet another corpse in Topkapi Palace. I was not squeamish about war, I understood that men would die as the price for land and glory, but this wasn't war, this wasn't a struggle over rightful ownership, this was not a battle over the legacy of Rome, this was a pointless struggle between a Crown Prince desperate to match his father's greatness and those who would defend The Ottoman Empire. Sultana Helena because she wants her son to inherit a powerful state, and I, because I want Russia to take every inch of Ottoman soil, not Austria, not Persia, and certainly not distant Sweden. I sighed and gave my soldiers the order to carry Spartak Pasha out of the palace along with the surrendering troops. One of Sultana Helena's enemies was gone, but Prince Adolf still remained, Constantinople still burned thanks to foreign torches and greedy, gold-obsessed claws.

* * *

Spartak Pasha's head was cut off and raised on a pike over Topkapi Palace by the Turkish defenders, but Sultana Helena and Fatimah were having none of it. The Sultan himself, Abdullah Timur, was off with his tutor under the watchful guise of the Janissary captain, a small Bulgarian man by the name of Draganov. My Russian troops, meanwhile, we resting on the palace grounds. We marched relentlessly after a few days worth of storms forced us to divert course and land north of Constantinople, yet now, almost mockingly, it was perfect weather. The sun was out in force over Constantinople, but it was hard to tell as Swedish fires still filled the sky with smoke, a reminder that there was still plenty of work to do. Isabella Theresa, my Austrian companion for this adventure, sat near me, silently watching the compound while our troops recovered from all the movement and the fighting, it was a strange sensation for both of us.

We have been fighting a war ever since we arrived in this city and we still are, but, for the first moment, we have a moment of quiet and inaction. The city is on fire, the civilians, which would usually be hustling and bustling throughout the city, are cowering in their homes, and the bazaars have been rendered silent by Swedish looters taking exotic goods for themselves and living off the food the merchants brought to the city. Those merchants fortunate enough to not be in the market when the Swedes attacked have probably all sailed away or fled, unwilling to risk losing everything to these foreign invaders. Constantinople was in pain, but still, here I was, in the second Rome, the city I claimed to be eclipsing, the city of the world's desires. There is still much to do with my Moscow, my city is not ready to rival Constantinople yet, but it is on the right track. Everything I am doing to better Moscow will also strengthen Russia, improving our position in the world, drawing in the Europeans from the west and serving as the model of civilization for our expansion to the east.

My University of Moscow shall make my capital a center of the arts, sciences, and mathematics, drawing in some of the greatest minds in the world, my German Market shall serve as a renaissance for the trade of the Hanseatic League, once again linking Russia with the Baltic, with the Low Countries, with England, I shall make Moscow a center for northern European trade. The Mosque I am building to serve my Persian and Indian guests will one day become a beacon for the largely Sunni Russian Muslims, concentrating them here and bringing them firmly under my control, just like the many churches in Constantinople. The orientalist district around that Mosque shall fascinate European guests with the wonders and secrets of the east, closer to Moscow than to Paris or Vienna or Venice. All of this shall improve my Moscow, but I wonder if even that will be enough, will my city ever live up to the reputation of Rome or Constantinople? Even Rome, while a shadow of its former self, is still the center of the Catholic Church and, for a brief moment in the Renaissance, seemed to be making a resurgence, that is something I fear Moscow will not be able to match up with. Rome has been sacked countless times and still stands, will Moscow be as timeless as Rome? Constantinople, meanwhile, is the city of a thousand names and a thousand cultures, will my Moscow ever be that cosmopolitan, ever that important in world trade? Not even the discovery of two whole new continents and a sea route to India could change Constantinople's role as a major crossroads of the world and a center of trade and culture.

"What are you thinking about?" Isabella Theresa eventually asked, the Austrian noblewoman evidently having snapped out of her own thoughts before I did.

"I'm thinking about Moscow. Tell me, as an outside to both Moscow and Constantinople, how does my capital truly match up? All the work I've done, all that I've had built, can my capital truly ever match up to this? Constantinople is burning, its skyline is filled with heathen minarets, and its palace is in ruins, yet here I am, still marveling at its beauty, its scale, its history. The Black Sea is on one side, the other side leads to the Aegean and then to the Mediterranean, Moscow meanwhile, is on a cold river surrounded by a frozen forest, a Medieval stockade with delusions of grandeur." I lamented, upset that all the work I put in, all the resources I sunk into my capital, can't match up with a city that was almost destroyed by Crusaders in 1204 and then conquered by the Turks in 1453. Topkapi is an old palace in a walled, Medieval compound which was just looted and had some of its walls blown apart by cannons, but I still can't say that The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace is worth all the expense and resources I put into it if this much older, more established place can still match up in many ways. The fact that presented Helena and Fatimah with an opportunity to rebuild and expand the palace makes it even more questionable, as she can now play catch-up with my modern palace.

"Constantinople is big, exotic, and warm, but it's also ancient. This has history reaching back before even Constantine the Great, that gives it an unfair advantage. Moscow is a younger city, a city with more potential. Everything you do to improve Moscow makes it greater than it has ever been before, meanwhile, Helena and her successors will never manage to make Constantinople as big and as grand as it was at the peak of the Byzantine Empire, when it truly was the center of the world." Isabella Theresa explained, reassuring me, before going on a related tangent "My native Austria has a similar situation, Vienna is a great city, the seat of the Empire, however, in many ways, it pales in comparison to Prague. There are Emperors who would have rather reigned in Prague, but were kept away by the Habsburg duties in Vienna, especially lately as Prague has grown harder and harder to control. Of course, Prague itself is now struggling, being a major objective for both sides in the struggle in Germany. The Austrians slaughtered the Czech Protestants and now, the Swedes are likely slaughtering the Catholics."

I nodded, seeing what Isabella Theresa was saying. Constantinople is great and historic, but it has declined. It is still a major center of population, trade, and a strategic chokepoint, but the city has paid the price for all the sackings it has endured, the city has felt the world shift westward with the discovery of the New World, and the city has felt the spice trade shift to the Indian Ocean. Constantinople is still great in spite of all that, but that doesn't mean that what I am doing in Moscow is pointless, I can make Moscow great, meanwhile, Constantinople can decline, as even mighty Prague is declining. Prague, the center of Czech culture, the heart of Bohemia, one of the largest and most cosmopolitan cities in The Holy Roman Empire, is not what it once was, now, I know that a certain blonde Pole is about to change that, revitalizing Prague, but that doesn't change the fact that cities, even great ones decline. As I watch Constantinople burn before me, I can relax knowing that it could very well decline, this could very well be the beginning of a long decline for Constantinople, hope is not lost. One day, my Moscow can step out of the shadow of the Second Rome, one day, the Third Rome will also be famous as the first Moscow, the great pinnacle of Russian civilization.

I turned to see Sultana Helena and Fatimah kneeling over a pile of destroyed, partially burned paintings. I recognized that, as I walked through Topkapi Palace to confront Spartak Pasha earlier, the walls were devoid of art. Everything which wasn't already taken by the Swedes was burned by the city guards for being iconoclastic. I once asked Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani if I could have her painted, a testament to my Indian ally and the great, beautiful woman who would go and, hopefully, succeed in, reestablishing the Bahmanid Sultanate in southern India. She politely refused, saying that in Islam, it was frowned up to portray the living realistically in art. Spartak Pasha and his treacherous guards no doubt destroyed all the art they could for similar reasons, deeming it iconoclast and offensive. Sultana Helena, coming from a different background, disagreed, but I watched as her Fatimah comforted her. I didn't think that the Sultana and Grand Vizier were merely political allies, there was something more there, a profound companionship, the kind that Yelizaveta and I share. Our bond was forged years ago, for better or worse, our love is in our blood, their bond seems to be more recent, but no less powerful. Fatimah grabbed Helena's hand and helped her up, the two whispering to each other as the sun reflected off a pair of rings which confirmed all my suspicions, rings which didn't mean the same thing in the Islamic world but carried a very particular, very powerful meaning in the Christian world. These two were bonded forever, as if they were married, and they considered themselves as such.

The two of them walked over to Isabella Theresa and I, soon joined by our impromptu translator, Captain Papadimitriou, and we prepared to begin planning to retake the city once and for all. Our brief respite in Constantinople was over, now, we are going to destroy Prince Adolf and his forces once and for all. The Russian Army of Crimea, my newest force, a force that I had the Ottomans pay for to guard the territories I conquered from them, would be up against the Swedish looters which have ransacked and torn apart Constantinople for days. I would cement myself as a fair ruler, one expanding Russia and bringing forth a favorable balance of power. I would be the one that defeated The Ottoman Empire and also the one that saved Constantinople from the Swedes, a contradiction of necessities and evolving interests, a reflection of the current state of European politics.

* * *

Alright everyone, this has been chapter thirty-seven of Romans! Next chapter will be another Tsarina Anastasia chapter and focus on her fighting the Swedes and properly retaking Konstantiniyye. Speaking of, I tried to keep something consistent throughout the story - that Anastasia calls it Constantinople or occasionally Tsargrad - usually only when daydreaming about a Russian conquest of it - while Helena calls it Konstantiniyye unless referring to the past when it was called Constantinople. Istanbul was a common name for the city at this point but it wasn't in use officially, so I consider it more colloquial. As for why I didn't use Moskva for Moscow...ask past me.


	38. The Battle of Constantinople

Okay everyone, this is going to be the last chapter of the climax. It will be from Anastasia's perspective - a bit of an awkward decision, after all, there is a lot going on for Helena during all this - but given that Anastasia is the one leading the troops and Prince Adolf is more her villain, I feel like this is the right way - we'll circle back to Helena's views on these things in the next chapter, which will be the final Ottoman chapter. I am finishing up this story and, at the same time, act one of my DC fanfiction, Black Adamah, is coming to an end. I am going to resume my Star Wars story, Secrets of The Outer Rim once I'm finished. My other Star Wars story, The Armored Berserkers, is going to be cancelled, the admittedly few ideas I had for that story will be folded into Secrets.

Side note, but this is also the longest Roman numeral of this story.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXVIII.

The Battle of Constantinople.

* * *

The city of Byzantion - Byzantium to the Romans - emerged as a Greek colony in otherwise Thracian lands in antiquity. As with many Greek colonies, the city would fall to the Persians as they expanded into Europe, the city was conquered by a far off foreign power, but Byzantion survived. The Greeks would eventually turn back the Persians, but Athens and Sparta would engulf the Greek world in war as they battled over the spoils, for the second time within a lifetime, Byzantion's very existence was threatened, yet still, the city survived. The Greek world would, a century later, become infinitely larger as the Hellenistic Age began. The city between two seas found itself between two great powers as well, locked between Lysimachus' Kingdom of Thrace and the Antigonid Empire in Anatolia, Byzantion seemed destined to be consumed by the Diadochi Wars over the legacy of Alexander, but nevertheless, Byzantion survived. The Greek world, however, was exhausted by these wars and eventually found itself under the thumb of Rome. Byzantium may have lost its independence, but its story was far from over, in fact, once the city became part of Rome, its story had only just begun.

Rome was Latin, many of its colonies would become Latin, but the east remained Greek. Ethnic Greeks dominated major cities as far away as Alexandria and Antioch, and even where Greeks themselves were not the majority, their language and their culture was widespread. The eastern part of the Empire was also quite rich, with the established and civilized lands of Greece, Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt standing in stark contrast to the frontiers in Gaul and Britannia. Egypt, ruled by a Greek upper class, was the breadbasket of the Roman Empire. The wealth, prosperity, and relative independence of the east meant that, eventually, the Romans moved their capital eastward. Constantine the Great was on the verge of choosing Serdica - modern day Sofia - as the site of his capital, yet, in the end, Byzantium prevailed. Byzantium would grow into Constantinople, the capital of The Byzantine Empire.

The prosperity of Constantinople did not last forever, as the rise of Islam robbed the Byzantines of Syria and Egypt, diminishing their wealth and power. As if that were not enough, in 717, the Arab Caliphs launched an attack on Constantinople itself, attacking the great city by both land and sea. The ancient city, a cit which had survived so much, seemed like it was on the brink, but no, the siege was a failure and Constantinople survived. The Persians had failed, the Diadochi had failed, and the Arabs had failed, but eventually, perhaps tragically, the Turks would take Constantinople in 1453. The Christian world reacted in horror - the Pope tried to raise a Crusade, Princes in Serbia, Wallachia, and Albania were in horror as they realized they were next, and the center of the Orthodox Church had to shift to Moscow, as no one else was strong enough to preserve the eastern Church - shockingly, once again, Constantinople survived. The city was transformed into the Ottoman capital, churches became mosques, minarets filled the skies, and the population of the city began to grow for the first time since 1204. Constantinople survived every, even Ottoman conquest, and it would survive far, far more.

Prince Adolf's raid would be nothing more than a footnote in textbooks about Constantinople, an insane and foolish plot that did little to the city in the grand scheme of things. The Crown Prince of Sweden would not succeed, he would not be remember, and he would not get the chance to flee to Germany and retake his position as commander of Sweden's western flank. Prince Adolf would feel consequences for his actions, either by becoming an Ottoman prisoner, or by doing in the ensuing struggle. Spartak Pasha, his co-conspirator on the inside, the man who turned the city guards against Sultana Helena, was already dead - he committed suicide, but history would not remember if that way, they would learn that he was killed for his disobedience and disloyalty - his head stood tall on a pike over Topkapi Palace, a testament to how traitors are dealt with. In The Ottoman Empire, this story would serve to strengthen Helena's rule, warning her enemies that she was tough against traitors, however, this could be played in favor of my Russia as well.

Russian nobles - boyars or otherwise, their ceremonial roles and purposes have little practical meaning to them anymore, the vast majority of nobles are the same, greedy, ineffectual, and self-concerned above all else - are no strangers to foreign intervention. The example of Spartak Pasha and Prince Adolf shall serve as a warning to those who would betray me and an example of my army's ability to defeat foreign forces. Fear may fuel Russian absolutism, keeping my nobles in line and allowing me to concentrate more and more power in my hands. I trust myself and my appointed ministers to run the state far more than I trust the established, hereditary offspring of someone who was once useful. I do not care why a family has possession of certain lands, I care about whether or not the current members of that family can serve my Russia. Of course, some nobles are worthy servants, and those worthy servants will have their loyalty ensured, by fear if necessary, by the example of Spartak Pasha and Prince Adolf, one man, who is already dead, and another, who shall soon join him.

Sultana Helena's cosmopolitan and modern vision of The Ottoman Empire shall prevail, my absolutist rule over Russia shall prevail, and, once again, as it has always done, Constantinople shall prevail despite the hardships. Constantinople has always survived and thrived, no matter what it was up against, and, while I am not a fan of what the city has become under Ottoman rule, it breaks my heart to see the city burning. The Army of the Crimea shall march against the Swedes, Prince Adolf shall be punished for his actions, and the whole world will know my seriousness and my wrath. The Tsardom of Russia guaranteed the borders of The Ottoman Empire, once Prince Adolf and his forces are destroyed, nobody will dare question my authority ever again. Europe will think of Sultana Helena as the victor, the woman who recovered her capital and punished her enemies, but the truth is, Russia will be the one who really benefits. The world will learn that Russia is a global power ready to wield influence far, far beyond its borders - Lady Krystyna and Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani will accomplish similar goals in eastern Europe and southern India respectively - and that my guarantees and foreign policy moves must be considered by the other powers of Europe, Asia, and beyond. Constantinople will survive, but Moscow, the Third Rome, will overshadow it after all.

Isabella Theresa was right, in a way, while Constantinople may always have more history, more people, and a more strategic position than Moscow, Moscow is a city on the rise and the center of a massive new power that demands to be taken seriously. Constantinople may be the greater city, but that won't really matter, because my actions will ensure that Moscow is the more important city. This is not an atypical occurrence, after all, Athens was a far larger city that Sparta during the Peloponnesian War, but, via a greater army and clever alliances, Sparta made itself just as important, if not more so given that, in the end, it won the war. Constantinople, for however great it is, will be the center of an empire in decline, an empire that has lost wars and last land to my Russia, meanwhile, Moscow will have sway over eastern Europe, the Deccan, and as far away as the Pacific. The greatness and the wonders of a city are only one part of a city's greatness, another part, a big part, is the state attached to it, and Moscow carries with it all of Russia, a force impossible to ignore.

Now, Russia's forces in Constantinople will be impossible for the Swedes to ignore.

* * *

"Soldiers of Russia, you stand in Topkapi Palace, the heart and capital of The Ottoman Empire. The Turks were our enemies, that much if true, we fought them in Crimea, we fought them in the Caucasus, and we fought them in the Balkans, we triumphed, we had the opportunity to strike at Constantinople, which was rendered defenseless. We could have raided Constantinople, but we did not, we are a savage people. Our enemies were defeated and we spared them because it was the honorable thing to do, and we could avoid further bloodshed. Prince Adolf of Sweden, however, was not so honorable. He and his forces marched all the way here, even having the audacity to ask for passage through Russia, to burn this city to the ground. Look around you - is this honorable? Is this civilized? This is madness, The Tsardom of Russia will not stand for it, not after our generosity and our humanity in The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya. In that treaty, we promised to defend Ottoman borders against foreign aggression, and now, the Swedes are clearly foreign aggressors. It is time we make good on our promises, it is time that we establish Russia as a country of great honor and great sincerity. I ask of you, soldiers of Russia, to march forward and reclaim the capital of our former enemies, fight for your country and its reputation, fight for justice, fight for what is right!" Isabella Theresa made a grand speech to the troops, motivating them to fight the Swedes for the Turks. This was, admittedly, a difficult premise to sell to the troops, but, based on the great cheer my men released, Isabella Theresa managed to convince them. Motivated and joined with Helena's remaining forces, our troops marched off to confront Prince Adolf.

Prince Adolf and his forces were camping in the ancient Hippodrome. This was not much of a surprise, after all, the old race course, despite being in disrepair, is one of the few armies in Constantinople large enough to house a full sized army. Camping in the Hippodrome also put the Swedes right in front of the Blue Mosque and very close to the Hagia Sophia as well, two of the largest and grandest buildings in the city, places which the Swedes would no doubt want to loot. The Blue Mosque was the newest Imperial Mosque and grandly decorated with gold, precious gems, and stained glass, all built over the old Byzantine Palace. The Hagia Sophia, meanwhile, was the ancient center of eastern Christianity, built by Justinian I at the height of the Byzantine's power, the building has stood for over a millennium, the heart of the Orthodox Church, now, it is a Mosque, but the history and the riches inside are still unmatched. These riches, many of them anyway, wre now being carted off and taken to Prince Adolf, the Crown Prince thinking all of these foreign and exotic riches would buy him his father's respect. The reality is, a successful Siege of Bremen would have done far more, it would have provided to Adolphus Rex that his son is a competent and capable military leader in his own right, a man who deserves the Swedish throne. Instead, Prince Adolf would be remembered as the fool who dragged his army to Constantinople, destroyed a wonderful city, and lost everything in the process, overwhelmed and destroyed by superior Russian forces.

I heard the hushed whispers of a hundred different languages as my troops marched through Constantinople, a single formation at a time due to the narrow streets, making our way from Topkapi Palace to the nearby Hippodrome. The people of Constantinople were uncertain of us, to say the least - they knew we meant no harm, based on the fact we walked side by side with Sultana Helena and her loyalists, but beyond that, they didn't know what to expect from us foreigners, especially not after the actions of the Swedes - they cowered at the sides of the streets, some not even daring to come out, merely gawking through their windows. Let them gawk, I knew that I meant them no harm and that their suspicion meant nothing to me. They were not my subjects, Russia still had a long way to go before we could legitimately claim Tsargrad, they would become grateful after the fact, when they learned that their city was liberated by Russia. Sultana Helena would tell the truth, a version of it anyway, I was confident of that, the Greco-Turkish woman didn't want to be my enemy.

As we planned, we split our forces upon reaching the Hippodrome. A slightly smaller half of our forces, along with all of the loyalist forces, went with Sultana Helena and Grand Vizier Fatimah to the far end of the race course - Captain Papadimitriou, proving his usefulness beyond his rank, went with them, serving as the line of communication between Helena and the rest of the troops - while Isabella Theresa and I would attack the compound from the closer end. We had greater numbers and we had greater resources, we would surround Prince Adolf and leave him with nowhere to flee, finishing off the core of the Swedish forces and decapitating their leadership, leaving them in disarray. Field Marshal Ottosson would be the natural successor, much more experienced that the Prince and already taking on as many duties as he could without disrupting Swedish absolutism, but he and his shattered forces have fled somewhere into the city. The Field Marshal is not in this camp and, wherever he is, he is not in a position to round up the Swedish forces and organize an effective response. Ottosson was defeated and now, now Prince Adolf would be eliminated, that would force the remaining Swedes to either surrender or flee. Sultana Helena would decide their fate, reasserting her authority - my only concern is that these men aren't in a position to return to Sweden by the time I begin my war against their Kingdom - so long as I do not have to fight these men twice, I don't care what becomes of them, The Ottomans can run their own state.

Russian soldiers walked onto the old race course, where ancient chariots once raced in one of the most popular, most significant sports in The Byzantine Empire. On the inside of the track, divided in two defensive formations, stood the Swedish forces - Crown Prince Adolf himself commanded the troops facing me, one of his officers was tasked with fighting the troops under Turkish command - pikes and guns at the ready despite the fact that they were exhausted, that they were outnumbered, and that they were outmatched. These troops marched all the way from Bremen, to Moscow, back, through Austrian Upper Hungary, and all the way to Constantinople, they were not going to abandon their Prince now. Behind them, was their camp, but besides that, there were also wagons overflowing with riches. Gold, jewelry, diamonds, turquoise tiles, paintings, ancient relics, silverware, chinaware, textiles, anything that the Swedes could find and steal was in these wagons, plundered from the people of Constantinople. Estates, bazaars, even the humble house here on the Golden Horn, nothing was safe from these foreign raisers, but they would not enjoy the spoils of their looting. There were only so many Swedes between me and those treasures.

"Soldiers, attack!" I gave the order and The Battle of The Hippodrome began, Russians and Swedes clashed for the first time as a precursor to my future war over the Baltic - not a very accurate precursor, after all, my men were fresh recruits and his men were exhausted and beyond their supply lines, but a victory against the Swedes here could serve to frighten my enemies in time for my future war - I was not unwilling to win battles through a psychological advantage, if the opportunity presented itself. Accurate precursor or not, the battle began as firearms fired, pikes thrust, and men died everywhere. I was no stranger to war, I understood that I was sending men to die to further my ambitions, but I also knew that dying in the service of Russia was a worthy sacrifice. The men who will die today shall serve as martyrs for my war against Sweden, another useful tool for motivating the masses. Sultana Helena, however, was not as tolerant as I was, she was squeamish about death and she felt uncomfortable sending my men into battle, fortunately for us, when the order did come, Papadimitriou wasted no time implementing it and allowed himself liberty to act when Helena could not command him. I took note of this..

Captain Papadimitriou was a leader, he was making that clear, but he was also willing to act independently, perhaps too independently. I already have a general who questions me in the form of Mikhailovich, I allow his disobedience because of his experience and because of the fact that he had plenty left to teach me, but Papadimitriou did not have that luxury. He was a young officer, one born in a foreign land under a foreign regime, he showed himself as loyal to me, but his behavior was proof that loyalties change, therefore, I don't know if I can trust him as a general, I don't know if I should trust him as a general. The Crimean Greek has potential and talent, but I have absolutist concerns to think about as well, I needed generals who were strong, but generals who were loyal and obedient above all else. I was not willing to give Papadimitriou a promotion, not yet anyway, perhaps I would reconsider after my wars on the steppe, wars which I planned to introduce the next generation of Russian officers. I hope that these wars against wild Hordes and Khanates produces talented, ruthless, and creative generals in high quantities, but if that is not the case, then perhaps Papadimitriou will be given another chance. For now, the mere captain with translator duties is showing arrogance by operating so independently and so above his station. I will need to keep him in check.

Papadimitriou was loyal, he made that clear with his bowing, but he was loyal to Sultana Helena once, he still is to an extent, that means that his loyalty can change and has a history of changing, therefore, I'm not sure how trustworthy he really is. His independence was above his current station and his loyalty, while secure, was questionable in the long run, nevertheless, he was proving very effective. Our forces were effective as well, by moving in, by hitting them with a pincer attack, we were tearing the Swedes apart. Formations fell apart under the intense weight of Russian troops closing in from all sides, men were backed all the way against their tents and supply wagons as we descended upon them, and Swede after Swede fell as Russian pikes and guns stabbed and fired upon the Swedes. This was not the first time that the Hippodrome was stained in blood, not by a long shot, and, despite the disrepair and the lack of Turkish interest in chariot racing, I suspected that it wouldn't be the last. Our troops stepped over bloody blue coats and their bodies as we closed in on the final Swedish forces. Prince Adolf, his guards, and a handful of formations had retreated deeper into the camp once their allies were overwhelmed, but they were reminded of the fact that they had nowhere to go. I watched the Crown Prince as he looked around, his troops standing in defensive formations but not attacking yet, knowing that going on the offensive now would be fatal. The Prince, despite his arrogance and his foolishness, finally accepted reality. He knew he couldn't win this.

The Crown Prince of Sweden and his few remaining men finally surrendered, laying down their arms and backing away. Tentatively, Isabella Theresa and I approached, but before getting two closes, we sent a few troops forward to gather their pikes and weapons off the ground, ensuring that a particularly vengeful Swede could not lift a pistol and fire at us. Sultana Helena, Grand Vizier, and Captain Papadimitriou joined us before we finally approached the Swedish Prince. I smirked at him, the last time we were face to face, he asked for permission to pass through Russia and raid Constantinople, even having the audacity to try and marry me - out of a petty rivalry with my brother-in-law, Prince Christopher of Denmark no less, mixed with blatant opportunism trying to produce descendants that shall reign over both The Kingdom of Sweden and The Tsardom of Russia - now, here he stood, defeated by Russia, his raid on Constantinople ineffective. Prince Adolf avoided eye contact, his pride and his survival instincts battling against each other, he did not want to be captured and defeated, but he knew that protesting or insulting me now was not wise, not when we were more than capable of executing him. Little did the Swedish Crown Prince know that his fate was in Helena's hands, after all, she was the woman he invaded, but, should the Sultana ask for my advice, I will recommend swift and immediate execution.

Now, that is what I recommend, but it also is not what I would do. The Tsardom of Russia borders The Kingdom of Sweden and there are disputed regions, particularly Karelia and especially the city of Vyborg, if Russia executed the Crown Prince of Sweden, regardless of the blatant and illegal raid, the Swedes would have to declare war simply to maintain their honor. The Ottoman Empire is in a different situation, it is very distant, on the opposite end of Europe from Stockholm, if Prince Adolf is executed in Constantinople, Adolphus Rex will be upset, he would condemn The Ottomans, but that would be the end of it. There is no conflict against the Turks to justify, there is nothing to gain from declaring war, and, on top of that, Prince Adolf's raid proved that the Swedes cannot maintain supply lines this far away and living off the land in such a distant land can only work for so long. I believe Sultana Helena should execute Prince Adolf because of his actions against The Ottoman Empire and because, due to distance and due to the fact that Adolphus Rex is already preoccupied with the war in Germany, the Swedes won't start a war against the Turks, Adolphus Rex is not as foolish as his son.

"Hello Prince Adolf, I think now you understand why I did not grant you passage through Russia. The Ottoman Empire's lands are under my guarantee and my protection, my strategic concerns here are more important to me than any percentage of gold or bullion or loot. The Tsardom of Russia, my allies in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, The Kingdom of Georgia, The Principality of Transylvania, and elsewhere, want Ottoman lands for ourselves, I will not allow the Swedes to interfere in this, the same way I shall not allow the Persians or the Habsburgs to interfere. Bulgaria will fall to Russia, western Armenia will fall to Russia, and one day, Tsargrad itself will fall to Russia, do you understand this Adolf? A percentage of your loot is not a compliment to Russia, it is a percentage of the full wealth Russia can gain in full in the future." I explained to Prince Adolf, making sure the Crown Prince of Sweden knew exactly why I was involved in this, not the grand, idealistic version that would be sold to the people of Russian and abroad, but the real truth, the cold, calculating, and pragmatic reality of my ambition. I wanted Prince Adolf to know that I did this not out of friendship for The Ottoman Empire, but out of my plans for the future of Russia and out of my hatred for my future enemies in Sweden. This is not a benevolent act, this is a necessary evil to further Russia's foreign policy goals.

"You, Tsarina Anastasia, are a beautiful woman, you are very lucky for that, because the personality beneath the beautiful facade is hideous. You would side with your own heathen enemies just to gain as much as possible by stabbing them in the back later on. You and I speak in Russian, without translators, in front of Sultana Helena, why, is that because you don't have the courage to admit your duplicity to the woman next to you? I am disgusted with myself for even asking to marry you, I couldn't allow you to even by a consort in Sweden, you would poison my country, perhaps even try and steal it out from under me. You are a ruinous and self-absorbed woman, I should have seen that coming, you destroyed Poland, killed its King, and now, you've turned them into a puppet, is that your idea of friendship? You are the reason that Constantinople was defenseless, now here you are, taking credit for saving the city. You better kill me, because if I live, I will reveal what you are to the rest of Europe, I will do everything in my power to gather a coalition against you. I will push your borders back, burn your new palace to the ground, and reduce Russia to the medieval, backwards state it belongs as." Adolf snarled, reduced to a pathetic and vengeful dog.

Now, I have no intention of entertaining his nonsense, but I will note that my mother did expect me to steal Sweden out from under Prince Adolf, just like he accused me of, however, I wasn't going to do that, I never intended to do that. I did not want to go so far as marrying Adolf and potentially giving birth to children just to potentially stage a coup in Stockholm. It is, perhaps, facetious to say that I consider my virginity more valuable than all of Sweden - a cold, relatively low populated country on the northern fringe of Europe - but I don't want to risk Russian succession on a scheme to gain a country that is only so powerful because it wields unsustainably large and professional armies. The Riksdag may side with me, I may be able to launch a coup, but more likely, I would fail and instead end up with a Vasa child who would displace Yelizaveta in the Russian succession, giving a Russo-Swedish Union anyway, but a Russo-Swedish Union under Stockholm's terms. The scheme was unlikely to actually go anywhere and would more likely derail my plans for Russia. As for stabbing The Ottoman Empire in the back, I don't consider my actions a betrayal, we were enemies before this and we'll be enemies after this, Sultana Helena is aware of that, she knows that my border guarantee is not for her benefit. I am working to ensure that Russia shall annex The Ottoman Empire, but I'm being transparent with this, my plans are well known. The rest of Europe would probably approve, as it would remove a Turkish threat, those who would not approve meanwhile, are the ones who would want to annex Turkish lands for themselves, such as the Austrians. Prince Adolf has nothing that scares me, I know who I am, I know what I am doing, and I don't care if my enemies will hate me for my actions, I don't have to be loved by Vienna or Paris or London, I want to overshadow those cities instead.

"There will be no coalition, there will be no burning of Moscow, and, one way or another, you will never return home. Sultana Helena will either have you executed or she will see that you spend the rest of your days in the Turkish dungeons, a prisoner for your blatantly illegal raid." I rebutted, backing away, turning to Helena - who was aware of the fact that she was mentioned, even if she didn't know what was said about her - and Grand Vizier Fatimah. I glanced at Papadimitriou, the translator, remembering how comfortable he was in command, a comfort he didn't earn, but that would have to wait for another time. Prince Adolf was right about one thing, and that was that Sultana Helena and I were still enemies, despite cooperating here, the last thing I needed was for her to see internal squabbles through the facade of a unified and absolutist Russia I presented to the rest of the world. Isabella Theresa, despite her foreign name and Austrian upbringing, was part of that unified front, she was still a Catholic and a German, but otherwise, she fully assimilated into Russian society. Isabella Theresa was now an established strategist and leader of the Russian military, something that Austria and The Palatinate never allowed her to be.

"What would you want us to do?" Papadimitriou translated for Helena after she and Fatimah spoke amongst themselves for a few moments. The two spoke in hushed Turkish, standing intimately close to one another, not quite touching, but close enough to feel the heat coming off of each other's bodies - they would claim that was just to maximize secrecy, they would claim that such proximity is necessary given the circumstances, they would claim that they did it to feel safer while surrounded by Russian troops and surrendering Swedish raiders - but those were all just excuses, there was more to this. This reminded me far too much of myself and Yelizaveta, of myself and Krystyna, to be a coincidence. The glances, the fleeting touches, the deep trust they shared, even when they disagreed - I couldn't understand what they were saying, but from their tones and their expressions, I could guess that her Grand Vizier was pushing for execution while Sultana Helena was reluctant, tired of all the bloodshed - my suspicions in Topkapi Palace were confirmed, these two were together. Their behavior, the rings, and their intimacy, perhaps separately, would mean little, but together, there was no denying that Helena and Fatimah were together. It was a strange realization that a woman who, for so long, was my enemy, had so much in common with me, I could emphasize with her now, but fundamentally, this revelation didn't really change anything, I still coveted Ottoman lands and I still would seek to expand Russia at their expense.

"Prince Adolf's raid was blatantly illegal and an extreme insult to your state and your rule. Past Ottoman Sultans, in their victories against The Holy Roman Empire, have declared that the Emperor is equal in rank to the Grand Vizier, thus subservient to the Sultan. The Emperor, meanwhile, is superior to the King of Bohemia. Considering these facts, The Ottoman Empire has established that you, as Sultana-regent, are superior to a Prince, even the Prince of a powerful country like Sweden. In order to deter further foreign raids and reassert your authority, you must execute Prince Adolf. This is the only way to ensure that the rest of Europe continues to fear The Ottoman Empire, as they will know that, no matter who they send, no one is too powerful to escape the Sultan's judgement." I argued, presenting the case in a different way than I thought about earlier. I suspected that my current case would be enough to convince the Sultana, but if not, then I would point out that they were safe from Swedish reprisals anyway. If neither of those worked, then I still wasn't worry, Prince Adolf would simply rot in a Turkish prison, just like I told him before beginning this discussion with the Ottoman leadership.

"There really is nothing to gain from keeping him alive. I know that previous Sultans have turned Princes from the Byzantine Empire, Wallachia, and other countries against their rulers, but what would The Ottoman Empire gain from interfering with Swedish politics? Even if you are successful, it would just get your country dragged into a conflict with Russia again once war with Sweden inevitably breaks out in Karelia." Isabella Theresa added, providing a very good point. The Ottoman Empire has pitted foreign Princes against each other to gain influence over its stronger neighbors, but again, there was no reason to do so now, The Kingdom of Sweden was too far away for The Ottomans to gain anything by interfering in their politics. The one thing they could gain was an alliance against Russia, but given that The Ottomans already lost a war against me and it was no secret that Russia and Sweden were on a collision course, Helena would just find herself in another war against a Russia which has already proven itself superior to The Ottoman Empire and taken considerable amounts of land. My Austrian strategist was clever politically as well - likely why Bathory Terezia recommended her as a potential replacement Foreign Minister in the first place - and her background in Austria means she's well aware of The Ottoman Empire, well aware of Austria's largest and greatest enemy.

"I know that, I don't want to gain anything from sparing him, but I also don't want to kill him and provoke the Swedes. Adolphus Rex will not take kindly to the execution of his son." Helena protested, somewhat weakly. As the Captain translated, I realized Helena fell directly into the trap I set for her, I would convince her to execute Prince Adolf, removing a thorn in my side, and setting Sweden on course for a succession crisis should Adolphus Rex fall in battle in Germany. Internal conflicts in Sweden would make my upcoming war against them far, far easier. I explained to Sultana Helena that this failed raid would be more than enough to discourage Adolphus Rex from launching an invasion of The Ottoman Empire, especially not when he was already fighting for the Protestant cause in northern Germany. I also knew something that Sultana Helena didn't, that the Swedish situation in northern Germany would suddenly become a lot more precarious as Lady Krystyna erased their conquests in Bohemia and brought new life to the Catholic cause. There is also the fact that I have forged alliances so that The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway and The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth shall join my war against Sweden. The last thing Adolphus Rex needs is to add a far flung conflict against the Turks to his ever increasing list of wars, something which Helena, reluctantly, accepted "Fine, fine, if you insist that it's the best move for The Ottoman Empire, we'll add one final casualty to the list of pointless and stupid deaths in this pointless and stupid conflict."

Helena, seemingly despondent, let Fatimah take control. The Grand Vizier, ordering the loyalist forces, had the bodyguards and remaining soldiers arrested, pulling them back as another two forced the Swedish Crown Prince to kneel. Helena looked away, not interested in this morbid display, she headed over to where her son stood, under the watch of a Janissary, a nurse, and another woman, trying to shield his eyes while the child looked on with the morbid curiosity typical of his age. Grand Vizier Fatimah watched as another loyalist came over with a scimitar and prepared to behead the Swedish Prince, making sure the execution was quick, efficient, and over with, all for the benefit of her lover I suspected. I saw that the Turkish leadership was preoccupied, so I quietly ordered my troops to seize the Swedish loot wagons, moving them out of the Hippodrome as we left, Isabella Theresa, a few guards, and I were the last ones to leave, watching as Crown Prince Adolf was beheaded for his crimes against The Ottoman Empire. Rome was attacked by Germanic barbarians many times before it finally fell to the Vandals, but this time, the Germanic raiders were repelled. The second Rome was saved, now, we just needed to find the Field Marshal and the last remaining Swedish forces.

* * *

Lanterns and camp fires lit the Hippodrome as we made camp for the night, Russians filling the majority of the space with Sultana Helena and her loyalists only taking up a small portion on the inside of the far end of the track. Chariot racing wasn't exactly a Russian sport either, the closest we have is Tatar horse racing, but even that is far more simple, far more wild than the organized, stadium racing of The Byzantine Empire. There was no reason to change this either, as chariots have long been obsolete in terms of warfare, now, our cavalry is made up of armored lancers, quick moving cuirassier shooters, and, of course, the light and rapid Cossacks that The Tsardom of Russia is famous for. I walked through Prince Adolf's tent, seeing what the Crown Prince had with him, however, there wasn't anything that exciting. It was a large, grand tent with a wide cot sitting on a rug, a mobile dressed sat along the side, containing his uniforms, some armor, and a collection of letters from Sweden. The first, unsurprisingly, was a strongly worded order from the Riksdag to return to The Siege of Bremen, the rest, however, were from his sister, the Princess Cecilia. His younger sister seemed divided, considering his actions strategically stupid and asking him to return to Bremen as well, but at the same time, Cecilia seemed exciting about looting Constantinople, thinking of how the riches could embellish Stockholm, truly making that city the Venice of the North. There was nothing from Adolphus Rex, suggesting that their father didn't know about the raid yet, but this Princess Cecilia was concerning. Prince Adolf was dead and, with Adolphus Rex in The Holy Roman Empire and thus not in a position to father another son, hat meant that Cecilia, the eldest daughter, was the clearest heir. From what I could grasp from this letter in a foreign language, Princess Cecilia was smarter than her brother, therefore, perhaps she could prove more dangerous.

"Tsarina Anastasia, come quickly, there's a situation." Isabella Theresa found me in the tent and rushed in, clearly on a mission. I followed my strategist out of the tent and found myself working through a line of my own troops, coming forward to see a surrendering Field Marshall Ottosson, numerous Swedish soldiers behind him. These soldiers were in various conditions, some still appeared professional, others were scarred and bloodied from the previous battle at the gates, others still are dirty, covered in ash, and dressed in torn up uniforms from their sickening work, tearing the city apart from loot, food, and, no doubt, women as well. The horrific reality of war is that brutality and rape were commonplace, particularly amongst mercenaries and undisciplined conscripts - the horrors of warfare have made themselves particularly clear in Germany, where the element of religious fervor is added to the dangerous mix - I mean all too well that many of the Swedes raped Ottoman women or at least tried to. I found that absolutely disgusting and that is a standard I hold to my armies as well. Russian armies were far from honorable before my father's reforms, getting involved in politics, raping and pillaging villages, and often even going so far as to hold pogroms against Jews and other minorities in Russia, my father fought hard to end that and that has continued into my reign. My armies aren't perfect, not yet, but they are far more disciplined and professional than they once were, our looting, even in Baghdad, was like a controlled fire, still furious and destructive, but not to an excessive extent.

"He says he has rounded up as many men as he could, bringing them in to surrender. He has that his men are tired, hungry, and far from home, they are without a Prince, without that man who ordered all this, and he is asking for lenient punishment for himself and these men. Ottosson has declined the chance to be ransomed and return to Sweden, he instead insists on sharing the same fate as his men." Isabella Theresa explained, the Austrian and the Swedish Field Marshal shared a quick discussion in German, a language I had a better understanding of that Swedish, but one that Neunkirchen, a native speaker, could handle more preciously than I. Ottosson did not support this raid, though he did see that it was carried out precisely and methodically, but he was working within Sweden, an absolute monarchy, where the Crown Prince could ignore a request from the Riksdag, objecting would do nothing good for the Field Marshal. If this were up to me, I would accept Ottosson's surrender, after all, he may even hold knowledge that I could use against Sweden in the coming war, but it's not my decision, it is Helena's decision, just like the execution was. All I could do was provide advice, as I did earlier. I waited patiently as Papadimitriou, hearing Isabella Theresa's Russian, then translated that into Greek for Sultana Helena, who then discussed it with Grand Vizier Fatimah in Turkish. I wondered for a moment how different Fatimah's understanding of events was from the original German, but I didn't have the chance to wonder for long before Sultana Helena spoke to the Field Marshal, not asking for advise this time.

"I accept your surrender, Marshal Ottosson. My city and my Empire is in chaos right now, I hope you understand that, for the time being, you and your men will be kept in the dungeons. I will make the experience as painless as possible - and thank you, for not prolonging the bloodshed." Sultana Helena accepted immediately - consulting only Fatimah and even then, only briefly - wanting to end this war as soon as possible. I was not upset, after all, this was the same thing that I was recommending her to do, but I was not a fan of that fact that I wasn't even asked for my opinion. Nevertheless, it didn't really matter, after all, this would be my last night in Constantinople, the vast majority of the Swedish forces surrendered and the only ones left were a handful of stragglers that would prove inconsequential, Helena's loyalists and a new, loyal city-guard would be more than enough to bring justice and peace to this city. I returned to the tents, not quite believing that it was over - Spartak Pasha and Crown Prince Adolf were dead, the Swedes surrendered, and the fires around Constantinople would be extinguished - that was it then, my own adventure was over. It felt surprisingly hollow at first, but then, I remembered what was waiting for me in Moscow, Yelizaveta.

* * *

The Army of Crimea reunified outside of the walls of Constantinople, the infantry and artillery that travelled into the city with me meeting the cavalry and the rest of the artillery which had stayed outside, denying the Swedes the chance to escape. Field Marshal Ottosson claims he spent all his time gathering up the troops, but I would be surprised if he didn't travel to the gates, only to turn back when faced with the rest of my army waiting outside. My troops outside of the walls had something else as well, they had the Swedish treasure wagons we recovered from the Hippodrome, containing many, many of the riches of Constantinople, stolen from the Turks by the Swedes, but in the end, they would go to Moscow. As I looked out at the gold, the turquoise, the relics of mosques and churches alike, crosses, texts in hundreds of languages, tiles, statues, jewelry, art, and even coins, I realized that Princess Cecilia had a point in that letter, these riches really could embellish the Venice of the North, the problem is, it isn't going to Stockholm or Venice, it's going to the Third Rome, it's going to my Moscow.

"Soldiers of Russia, look at the fruits of your labor, look at the riches we have won for helping our former enemies. We have saved Constantinople, now, the riches of Constantinople shall go to Moscow, transforming our great city into an even greater one. You are victorious, you are great adventurers, and now, you are returning to Russia! March soldiers, march all the way home!" I gave my celebratory speech to the soldiers, giving a shorter one than Isabella Theresa gave at Topkapi Palace, but a speech that soldiers appreciated just as much. We would march to our fleet and sail back to Sevastopol, where our army would rest, before the Austrian noblewoman and I return to Moscow, returning to my brilliant capital. This was my moment of triumph.

I am the Princess of the Resurrection, the future Tsarina born during a Polish siege of Moscow, the woman whose birth inspired our soldiers to turn back the Poles and liberate our city. Russian soldiers under my father would push the Poles and Lithuanians all the way back to their land and even further, taking Smolensk. My father would spend the rest of his reign training his men, modernizing the Russian armies and laying the foundations for my great reign. I am the woman who brought Kiev back under Russian rule, I am the woman who took Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia, and brought The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth under heel, turning an enemy into a loyal ally. I am the Tsarina who was the mentor and lover of Krystyna Wlodzislawa, the woman who is set to expand Russian influence to Bohemia, Transylvania, and perhaps even into Hungary, Croatia, and even Naples. I am the general who led the Russian Imperial Army into battle against The Ottoman Empire and finally defeated them, taking Crimea and Caucasia in my moment of victory. I am the patron of the arts who commissioned The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace and White Square, reshaping Moscow into a modern city and the envy of all Europe. I am the fair and honorable leader who obeyed her foreign commitments and saved Constantinople from an audacious Swedish raid. I have done so much and my reign has only just begun, now, it is time to celebrate my accomplishments with Yelizaveta Aleksandrovna Rurikovich, my sister, my heiress, and my lover. I shall finally get the chance to make love with her, taking the ultimate step that was delayed by my mistakes and then by this adventure in Constantinople. Now, there will be no more distractions, nothing that shall interfere in our love.

* * *

Ottoman epilogue up next!

I love you all, peace out!


	39. The City of The World's Desire

Hello everyone, welcome to the final Ottoman chapter and the penultimate overall chapter of this story. I know that I've struggled to differentiate Helena and Anastasia as individual characters, but I hope I've been able to write an interesting story for Sultana Helena, Grand Vizier Fatimah, Spartak Pasha, Olga Draganova, and the other Ottoman characters in this story. I've tried to accurate and delicate when portraying Islam, though I know I've made more mistakes in this part of the story than the Russia part, and I do apologize for those errors, and I wanted to convey that The Ottoman Empire was cosmopolitan and somewhat tolerant compared to Europe. Essentially, what I'm trying to say is, I know I'm not a perfect writer and I know I've ended up favoring the Russian part of this story, but I hope that this part of the story still came out nicely and I want to end it on a high note with this chapter. I hope you enjoy!

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XXXIX.

The City of The World's Desire.

* * *

"The final assessments are in: the damage and the looting was largely limited to the heart of the city south of the Golden Horn, however, that part of the city is significantly damaged. Topkapi Palace has been devastated, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque need significant renovations to repair the looting and the pillaging, and the citizens are demanding that we help pay for their repairs as well. In short, this is going to drain our treasury." Fatimah reported, my Grand Vizier's voice solemn as she explained just how dire the shape of the city was. I closed my eyes and sighed, I knew that the damage would be extensive, Spartak Pasha and Prince Adolf ensured that with this pointless raid and the plethora of death and destruction that was brought with it. I was also angry with myself, angry because I allowed this situation to get worse, I may not have been able to raise a professional, standing army, but I could have raised enough Balkan and Turkish peasants to fight the Swedes and the city guards on my own, instead, I caved in fear of the mighty Swedish armies and called on Tsarina Anastasia for help. I thought that I would face an elite army, hardened by the German religious struggle, instead, I faced random, desperate, undisciplined looters under the command of an incompetent Prince searching for glory and recognition and getting himself killed in the process.

I wanted to believe that Tsarina Anastasia could finally be my ally after all this, I wanted to believe that the two most powerful women in Europe could finally put our conflicts behind us and unite against a common enemy, I wanted to believe that this cooperation went beyond personal ambition, but I was wrong. Anastasia Rurikovich was never going to be my ally or my friend, her mercy was not a benevolent act, it was an act of greed - she wants to defend The Ottoman Empire because she wants to see Russia annex every inch of my great country in the future - she sees us as weaker than the Austrians or the Persians or even local warlords, she sees our survival as the easiest path to conquest. This was most clearly exemplified when she took the stolen Swedish bullion and loot for herself, rather than returning it to us, the rightful owners. Anastasia only cares about her Russian state, she'll claim to be the heroine of Constantinople, but, in reality, she robbed Konstantiniyye of its wealth and riches in order to further embellish her capital of Moscow. I am not a fool, I've heard all about her new projects in Moscow and her "Third Rome," I know exactly what she is doing, but I thought she was better than this. I thought she wanted her capital to overshadow Konstantiniyye on merit, not to diminish my capital in order to make hers look better by comparison. Of course, that just adds to who Anastasia is, she doesn't care about fairness, she doesn't care about honor, she will cheat and claw to further her ambitions if necessary, just as she has here.

"We don't have another option Fatimah, we're going to have to drain the treasury. We'll put our plans for great projects like the Egyptian canal and North African irrigation on hold, for now, and we'll focus on rebuilding our armies and our capital. We will help pay for the renovations to the citizen's homes, giving those affected a dispensation from annual taxes as well. The damage to Topkapi Palace is severe, it may be more prudent to renovate it as a museum and build a new palace towards the edge of the city instead, a larger, more modern compound. As for the Imperial Mosques, we must renovate them to their original state, the more pious factions in The Ottoman Empire already dislike us and they will accept nothing else." I told Fatimah my plans, seeing these as the best options to move forward with. Our great projects, while they would have propelled The Ottoman Empire to greatness, strengthening our economic position and giving us a breadbasket in a time when such regions were being more contested than ever before. Topkapi Palace meanwhile, was in a dire state, repairing the damage and making it a luxurious, vibrant, and viable royal residence, was almost as expensive as building a whole new palace. A new palace, at the same time, will give us room to grow, remove us of the intrigues that led to this audacious invasion to begin with, and reassert our influence and prestige in Europe.

"I understand, Helena, but making a whole new palace? I'm not sure if that's the smartest move to make while already taking on a huge financial burden." Fatimah asked, she knew that we had to rebuild, and she accepted that cost, but she was concerned with going beyond that. My Grand Vizier was a wonderful woman with incredible and ambitious plans, however, I had to admit, she lacked a certain idealism. I want to rule over an age of peace and hand over a successful, stable Ottoman Empire to my son, being the one to end all the war and bloodshed that got us here, Fatimah loved that idea, but she wasn't entirely onboard with my plans. Fatimah still thought that war and expansion was necessary to survive, Fatimah, perhaps correctly, never seemed to trust Tsarina Anastasia, and Fatimah just saw this as a tragedy, and yes, this certainly was a tragedy, but it can also be an opportunity. Konstantiniyye lies in ruins, but we can rebuild it as a modern European city, this is our chance to do the same thing that Anastasia did to Moscow, this is our chance to rebound.

A new palace will assert our power and influence, as it will be a symbol that we still see The Ottoman Empire as a strong state with a future, it will be a symbol to remind our people that the Ottoman dynasty has not fallen. The reconstruction of Konstantiniyye will serve as an example to the rest of the Muslim world, a modern Islamic city, influenced by Europe, and drawing the attention of the rest of the world. Konstantiniyye will still be the City of the World's Desire, Konstantiniyye will still lie on the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and Konstantiniyye will still stand, despite the looting and despite the disgrace. We have lost a war and we have suffered a horrible attack on our capital afterwards, but this is now an age of peace - no foreign power will dare question Anastasia's guarantee now and our own power was, admittedly, fearsome given we executed a foreign Crown Prince for crimes against The Ottoman Empire - and we must take advantage. Fatimah and I started our reign so strongly and that doesn't have to end just because we've lost a war and faced Swedish raiders, we can recover. It will be expensive, I do admit, and it comes at a time where our financial resources will be stretched, but I'd rather pay a steep cost in gold than have my son face an even steeper cost of terminal decline. I do not want this to be the beginning of the end of The Ottoman Empire.

"I'd rather drain the treasury and take on debt now than burden The Ottoman Empire in the future, at least this way, we have as much time as possible with you and I on the throne to ensure our debts are paid and our treasury is refilled." I countered, reminding Fatimah that our time in power wasn't going to last forever - I mean, she would still be Grand Vizier for my son and I would hope that my son would at least make me an advisor, if not trust me with considerable power in my own right, but we won't have the same power, the same dynamic we have as regents - and that we should maximize the remaining time until Abdullah Timur reaches maturity. I do hope and believe that my son will be a great Sultan, I would like nothing more, but even seeing him succeed is not the same as ruling myself, I am flawed, I fully admit that, but I have full control over my mistakes, this, only I am accountable. This control and this accountability will be lost once my son becomes Sultan, as, whatever role I'll play, it won't be the supreme power I currently wield. Fatimah and I would bankrupt The Ottoman Empire to rebuild and modernize Konstantiniyye, but then we would have the opportunity to earn that money back and, ideally, even begin capitalizing on the profits of a revitalized city.

"Hmm," Fatimah made an unconvinced noise, but I knew my wife all too well, she was thinking about it now, and once she got an idea into her head, she was never going to let it go until she figured out how to make it a reality. I smirked as Fatimah's unconvinced expression slowly changed into an attempt at a stoic face despite clearly trying to hide her excitement, Fatimah dropped the act and smiled with a roll of her eyes, accepting defeat "Alright, fine, I see what you're trying to do. We'll go ahead with this plan and I'll figure out how we can reenergize the economy afterwards."

"Thank you, Fatimah." I smiled, always feeling better when the two of us were united on something. The last few months have been disastrous for The Ottoman Empire, but that seems to be behind us now - Tsarina Anastasia has everything she wanted and then some, Adolphus Rex is too smart to do the same kind of stupid, useless, and dangerous raid as his son, and the Portuguese will not dare interfere in Arabia now that they've failed alongside their Arabian allies and were used without reward by the Russians, Austria and Persia, meanwhile, will be kept at bay with Anastasia's guarantee - and we have the chance to rule over an age of peace and prosperity. This is what we both want, I know it. Fatimah does still believe in war and conquest, but even then, she realizes peace would benefit her ambitious and great plans more, now, these particular plans may be on hold, but she can instead plan on how to remake our Konstantiniyye and she can plan our new palace. I, meanwhile, will finally get the conditions I always wanted, a new Pax Romana for The Ottoman Empire, still the true heir to the Byzantine and Romans Empires. Tsarina Anastasia may have her purple banners and Orthodox Church, but we have the actual lands, the culture, the people, we are Rome.

* * *

I stood silently in the doorway of the Balkan classroom on the grounds of Topkapi Palace, one of the few parts of the palace left relatively unharmed, and watched as Nikolina taught her class. The children here were mainly Bulgarians, as well as similar Slavic groups from Macedonia and Thrace, which made sense because Nikolina taught the class mainly in her native Bulgarian - though she made sure the children knew some functional knowledge of Turkish and Greeks - but there were also Serbs, Greeks, and even some Albanians and Romanians here, a testament to the diversity of Konstantiniyye. The city has always served as a beacon for the people of the Balkans, that hasn't changed even as the city has fallen under Ottoman rule and been settled by Turks, this class is proof of that. Another piece of proof is Olga Draganova, the Bulgarian woman standing at the back of the classroom in a dress, no disguise here, and watched her girlfriend's class with pride, loving to watch Nikolina doing what she loves. I eventually approached the Janissary captain.

"i have to apologize to you again, Olga, for what I almost did all those years ago." I began, watching as the brunette woman turned her attention to me, a surprised expression on her face, as if she thought that all of this was going to remain in the past. I understood that sentiment, a cowardly part of me was content to let this go unsaid, but I knew I had to make my appreciation clear, the Balkan woman and Janissary Captain has been an excellent ally for me and I cannot wait to see how this partnership develops in the future "Ibrahim Pasha was dead, you killed him, you did exactly what our mission was. Out of fear, out of ignorance, I almost let a little secret of yours ruin one of the most important partnerships I've developed in Konstantiniyye. I'm a woman, I know how difficult it is to achieve anything in The Ottoman Empire, I had to deal with Spartak Pasha and his traditionalists interfering with every step of my rule, I shouldn't have judged you for having to hide that, especially if your options where the Janissary Corps or the Harem. I am especially sorry because you've been one of my closest and most trusted allies ever since then, despite the fact that I threatened to take everything away from you."

"You don't have to apologize, Helena, you've already made your sorrow clear and you've already worked to earn forgiveness. The truth is, all those years ago, I probably should have trusted you with more information, I mean, you're a woman, you're not going to judge me for also being a woman, and, on top of that, we just planned a murder conspiracy and I was keeping secrets from you that whole time, I can understand why you'd he paranoid." Olga admitted, evidently having dropped her anger years ago and looked back on that event with a fresh perspective. It still hurt her, it probably always will, but emotions are complicated and they always will be complicated, logically though, logically she can see why I reacted the way I did. Given I lost my husband, just planned a murder, and now had to take on the task of ruling The Ottoman Empire, I wasn't exactly in the most stable mental state back then, that only changed once Fatimah came into my life. A strong and able set of shoulders to help me support the weight of one of the largest empires in the world.

"I do though, you and Nikolina have something beautiful, and for you to be able to manage that life and your role as a Janissary Captain, you truly are a great woman and a great person. Therefore, I want to warn you about something, the Janissary Corps are going to return to the battlefield. The absence of the Janissaries in the Persian campaign led to my husband being assassinated and their absence in The Russo-Ottoman War contributed to our defeat, in short, we need our elite troops back in the field, someone else will guard the palace. I do not want to ask the same of you though, you have a beautiful woman to live for, you have a life in Konstantiniyye that I don't want you to risk, you have more than the other Janissaries. I need the others in the field, but I want you here, I want you to live your life and be happy, not to take on these risks." I explained. I did not approve of war, but I knew from Anastasia and Prince Adolf that, no matter what I did, other powers would threaten my borders and start wars, that meant that I needed to be prepared for war, even if I didn't like it. The Ottoman Empire is a massive and desirable land, therefore, the only way we can be neutral is if our enemies fear our armies once again. Elite Janissaries troops in the field once again will play in a part in that plan, it won't solve everything, but it will help and it will be a beginning.

"You know I can't do that Helena. I do have a life outside the Janissaries and I do Nikolina, that's true, but that's also a privilege I have that my men don't. I can't give my men lives, not the way I do anyway, but I can at least give them loyalty. These men have been taken from their homes, they have been forced to serve The Ottoman Empire, and they are forced to live in the barracks, I may not experience it anymore, but I know their suffering and I can't just leave them to die on their own. If my men are going to march off into battle, I am going to march with them, I have to. I understand that, Nikolina understands that, and I need you to understand that as well." Olga explained, politely declining my offer. I suppose if this is what she wants, then I'm not going to stop Captain Draganov, but I do hope that tragedy never strikes, I hope that Olga and Nikolina didn't finally come together at work just for Olga to die in some pointless battle in a pointless war. In any case, despite my reservations, the Janissaries would now fight alongside my armies and Olga would be a part of that.

"If that is your choice, I understand." I told Olga before the two of us watched as Nikolina dismissed her class. I warmly greeted the Balkan children as they left, hoping that they'll appreciate the school I gave them. I was not so cold as to do this purely to win over my Balkan subjects, but I did acknowledge that their support would strengthen my son's future rule. The children seemed excited to meet their Sultana-regent, but their excitement was manageable, especially when Nikolina eventually decided it was time to usher them out. The Bulgarian woman waited until the kids were gone before walking over to Olga and giving her a quick kiss, the two women putting their arms around each other's waists as they faced me. I wanted to leave, to give the two privacy, but my Janissary Captain realized what her new role would mean and asked one last question before I left.

"If the Janissaries are going to fight your wars, who is going to guard the palace?" Olga asked, still concerned with the whole reason that the Janissaries were away from the front lines to begin with. Nikolina also looked on, interested in the answer - and, true to what Olga said, her girlfriend didn't seem at all phased by the idea of Captain Draganov going to the front lines - and I would have obliged the Bulgarian couple, if not for the fact that my plans aren't set in stone yet. I still have a few preparations to make and some discussions have to be had, but ideas like this have worked for Konstantiniyye before, perhaps Konstantiniyye shall receive foreign protection yet again.

"Don't worry, I have plans to ensure that Konstantiniyye is well defended, they're just not ready yet." I assured the pair of them before making my exit, the two of them deserved the privacy they earned together, and besides, I still had plenty of work left to do to reestablish my capital. The Ottoman Empire was a great state, stretching from Croatia to Yemen and from Algiers to the Persian Gulf, a great state needed a great capital. The reconstruction will reassert my authority, the new guard will protect me from any threats to my rule, and a new palace will serve as a symbol that The Ottoman Empire is here to stay. Fatimah and I are doing everything to ensure that, despite the hardships and the losses, my son rules over The Ottoman Empire at the peak of our power.

* * *

"Traditionally, when the sons of the Sultan reached maturity, they would be appointed as territorial governors. Previous Sultans have presided over Kaffa in the Black Sea, parts of Anatolia and the Balkans, and even fiefdoms in North Africa. The sons liked to stay as close to Konstantiniyye as they could though, because one their father died, all the eligible heirs would race back to the capital to seize control, meanwhile, the various mothers in the court would try to win the throne for their sons and stop the others. For you though, this concept will change." Xanthippi explained to Abdullah Timur as I watched from the edge of the room. I wanted to see how my son reacted to my new succession laws before I talked to him, I felt like this was the way to get the most genuine reaction out of my young heir. I would talk to him immediately afterwards "Your mother is ruling as your regent, therefore, when you reach maturity, she will cede power to you peacefully. You will then have a long and productive rule, but one day, it will be time for your own sons to rule. Your mother has recommended succession by primogeniture, so that your eldest son shall inherit the whole empire, without conflict, as is the tradition in Europe and most of the rest of the world."

"My eldest son? What if a younger son would be a better ruler? Why can't I simply choose which son rules upon my death?" Abdullah Timur asked, confusing his tutor and causing her to helplessly look to me. I took the chance to make my entrance, ready to face Abdullah Timur's admittedly good question. In an ideal world, succession by appointment would be an excellent system, always ensuring the best possible succession, however, that would also cause conflict. Lesser sons, particularly older ones, would grow resentful if the Sultan seemed to favor their younger siblings, meaning that such a system would lead to more court intrigues and more plotting, plotting which may escalate out of control and lead to another battle over Konstantiniyye, just like we just had. I wanted such a succession system so that I could finally bring an end to these plots and betrayals and intrigues, the last thing I wanted was to introduce another potential cause. I also would have liked to incorporate daughters into this succession, but me being a woman and my purge of the traditionalists has already angered the conservatives of The Ottoman Empire quite a bit, I don't want to trigger a revolt, not after everything that's already happened to my capital.

"You are wonderfully smart for a four year old, my little Abdullah, but the world is a harsh and imperfect place. You may have a good idea of who you consider the ideal successor, but all your sons will have their own idea of who is best. People are very selfish, Spartak Pasha and Prince Adolf are proof of that, and, while I do hope my grandsons will be better than that, I fear everyone is flawed. I don't want to see another conflict in Konstantiniyye after your rule." I softly admitted to my son, I dreaded how many difficult lessons he had to learn at such a young age, but I wanted to make sure that he was ready and aware when he ruled. I didn't want Abdullah Timur to be too sheltered, because then he may become both ignorant and arrogant, not knowing how life truly is for his people and assuming that he is just as perfect and just as his sycophantic scribes will paint him as. On the other hand, I didn't want to show him everything, he's just a child, he should understand suffering and death the way I do after my Arabian campaign, that is something that he should only experience as an adult, if at all. I wanted my son to get the ideal upbringing and become the ideal Sultan, not too jaded and not too idealistic, perfectly balanced as a ruler.

"Is that why I don't have any uncles?" Abdullah Timur asked, the bright young child have a revelation and putting two and two together. I hesitated for a moment, I never loved Suleiman III and I certainly don't want to give him a strong legacy, but I also know my son has a different view of his father. Abdullah Timur is my husband's son, his name is proof of that - Abdullah, meaning servant of God, and Timur, named after a Central Asian conqueror, reflects my husband's interests, piety and conquest - and my son has a nostalgic view of the father he never knew. I didn't want to smash my son's perspective of his father, regardless of how flawed, cruel, and ineffectual the man actually was to me, on the other hand, I didn't want to lie to my son. I looked over at Xanthippi now, hoping that the Greek woman would help me decide between sheltering my child and being honest to my son, which was the right way to achieve that balance I desired? Abdullah Timur's Balkan nurse gave me a solemn nod, advising me to tell the truth here. This was going to guarantee the succession law change and might finally turn my son fully to my side once and for all, it may hurt him in the short term, but it will put my son on the right path.

"Yes, my son, Suleiman III killed his brothers to seize the throne. The only male relatives you have left are a handful of great uncles and cousins who have long since surrendered any claim to the throne, preferring exile and irrelevance to death." I explained, hammering down the point that traditional Ottoman succession was a brutal and barbaric system that pitted brothers against each other. I had to hope that this was the last difficult lesson that Abdullah Timur was going to learn at such a young age, I didn't want him to grow up to become a bitter and terrified ruler, lashing out at any and every threat as if it was necessary just to survive. My son came over to me and gave me a hug, a silent expression of his new allegiances - I have lost wars, sure, but I've also won them, meanwhile, my husband killed his own brothers, even a four year old could see that I was the better parent after that, even Abdullah Timur's nostalgic view of his father couldn't survive this new information - I hugged my son back, grateful that we were finally united. My feelings for my son were still complicated, but it was much easier to love him now that he was on my side, I didn't have to associate my son with his father if I didn't want to.

"I love you mom," Abdullah Timur whispered against my shoulder as I held him tight, tears came into my eyes as things finally seemed to click, as my son finally felt like he was mine, as I finally felt like a mother. It took absolute tragedies to get this far, not least of which the raid where either of us could have been killed, yet here we were, expressing love and affection, just like a normal mother and son. I could help but think of my mother and father in this moment, how were they? I knew that they fled to Genoa, but my husband didn't allow me to write to them or to receive any letters from them, meaning I lost contact with them for a whole year, but my husband has been dead for years. There is nothing stopping me from writing to my parents and my family in the Italian city-state, in fact, I could even invite them to Konstantiniyye. All this time, I never even had the chance to wonder what my parents thought of me now, the former Princess of Theodoro turned Sultana-regent of The Ottoman Empire, I never had the chance to tell them about Abdullah Timur, and, at the same time, by not writing once my husband died, I must have made my family think I want nothing to do with them. I've actually managed to mend my relationship with my son, perhaps now the next thing I should do is try and mend the relationship I have with the rest of my family, the people who I haven't seen in nearly half a decade.

"I love you to, my little Abdullah." I whispered in his ear, finally feeling genuine love for my son for the first time. We have expanded The Ottoman Empire into Arabia, we have survived hardship and war against the Russians, and we have survived the Sacking of Konstantiniyye, my son and I have come a long way since the beginning of my reign, and, despite years apart, we seem closer now than we ever have before. Fatimah and I are working together to revitalize The Ottoman Empire, my son and I finally have a maternal bond, and I aim to reestablish contact with my parents in Genoa, I could finally be part of a proper family again. I am rebuilding Konstantiniyye and I am going to be rebuilding my life. I may not be Princess of Theodoro anymore, in fact, Theodoro has now been rechristened as Sevastopol and absorbed into Anastasia's Russia, but I can still experience part of the life I could've had in Theodoro if Suleiman III never invaded. The only difference is, my son, Abdullah Timur, gets to be a part of that life. I would never have had Abdullah Timur if I lived the life I imagined for myself, I would never have met Fatimah, the love of my life, and I would never have had the chance to rebuild Konstantiniyye. My life in The Ottoman Empire has not been perfect, especially not my time with Suleiman or the Swedish raid, but what I have now, I treasure that and I wouldn't trade it away for anything else.

* * *

I took a deep breath as Fatimah read over the letter I was going to send to my family in Genoa, hoping that my Grand Vizier, "wife," and confidante would make sure my letter was perfect before I sent it. I was nervous about this, I mean, how could I not be? I was about to send my family their first letter ever since I made a massive sacrifice for them, marrying Suleiman so that we'd show mercy and allow them to flee, rather than executing them to remove a potential thorn in his side, or imprisoning them in Konstantiniyye, I wasn't sure how to approach this. Did I have to apologize for the years of silence? Should I have kept to letter brief and invited them to Konstantiniyye, thus saving most of what I had to say for when we met in person? On the other hand, was I supposed to explain everything here, making sure my family understands why this is just happening now before having the nerve to invite them to Konstantiniyye? I didn't know the answers to these questions, I didn't even know if my family would respond to such an invitation, maybe I was dead to them now, I didn't know, and that's why I had to ask Fatimah for help, because I couldn't trust my own feelings with this situation.

"I'm not going to change anything." Fatimah announced with finality, handing the letter back to me. I looked at my Grand Vizier with a quizzical expression, wondering what made her react this way. I was a flawed leader, a flawed general, and certainly a flawed writer, I knew that my uncertain, emotional, and rambling letter was imperfect, I was writing to my family for the first time in years, there's no way to do that perfectly, there is simply too much emotional baggage involved, but here was Fatimah, the woman who knew my flaws better than anyone else, telling me the letter was fine. Why wasn't Fatimah correcting my letter? Why wasn't she urging me to format this letter better? Why wasn't she helping me write to my family? The thought that Fatimah didn't want my family here crossed my mind, but I let that thought go just as quickly as it came, Fatimah wouldn't do that, she isn't that jealous or petty, she knows she doesn't have to compete for my attention with my family, and she values my happiness, but then...what was it?

"Why not? I'm trying to reach my family for the first time since Theodoro fell, this needs to be perfect!" I replied, panic clear in my voice. One of the reasons why I haven't contacted my family yet is because of how scared I am of contacting them. I didn't know what to expect from my family, I didn't know if they would want to come to The Ottoman Empire, regardless of who ruled over the country - at the end of the day, the soldiers who sacked Theodoro, the government officials who collected taxes to fund the war, and the generals who planned the conquest, were still in The Ottoman Empire - and I didn't know if my family even wanted to see me after all this time. I was terrified and uncertain, now I was finally trying to do something about this, and here Fatimah was, not wanting to help me. I didn't understand why Fatimah was doing this, she was so supportive and loving, so I couldn't comprehend why this was an exception. I looked over the letter again while I waited for explanation, trying to see what my Grand Vizier saw to motivate this reaction.

"Helena, it's not like that. I don't want to edit your letter because it's a letter to your family, it should be as honest, genuine, and flawed as you are. Your parents don't want to hear my voice in your letter, they don't want to hear unnatural edits, they want to hear you. You're their daughter, you're writing to them for the first time in years, just be yourself, be their daughter." Fatimah replied, a wise, almost motherly smile on her face. The North African woman, my Carthaginian, eased my worries, reminding me that this is my family I'm writing to. These are the people who loved me and raised me, they'll be satisfied just to here from me, they'll be honored to be invited to The Ottoman Empire, and, even if they don't stay here, we'll at least be in contact once again, writing to each other, a new connection, a new life, and new family. I don't have to expect them to like me, I was their daughter, their sister, perhaps even their aunt at this point, I was going to send this letter and my family, if nothing else, would have to acknowledge me. A letter, a visit, maybe even moving to Konstantiniyye, one way or another, I was going to send this letter and get something back from my family, flaws, errors, emotions, it didn't matter, these were the people who raised me, the people who got to flee to Genoa because of my actions, the least they could do now is give me a response.

"Do you think this will work?" I asked Fatimah, my face showing all the conflicted emotions going through me as uncertain tears flowed down towards a beaming smile directed at my Carthaginian. In the ancient world, before the rise of the Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians dominated the Mediterranean, and of these Phoenicians, the Carthaginians set up an empire in the western Mediterranean. The ancient Greeks set up colonies throughout the Mediterranean, settling in Sicily, Asia Minor, along the Black Sea - laying the foundation for The Principality of Theodoro - and, under Alexander the Great, Hellenic culture spread into the Levant, Egypt, Cyrenaica, Mesopotamia, Persia, Bactria, and even to the Indus Valley. The Carthaginians, meanwhile, were centered on modern Tunisia, colonizing parts of Algeria, Morocco, southern Spain, Sardinia, and even Sicily, the latter of which put them into conflict with the Romans, setting the stage for the Roman conquest. Alexander's successor states would, eventually, fall to Rome as well, but that was not the end. Now, almost two thousand years later, a Greek woman born in a colony on the Black Sea and a woman from the modern city built over Carthage were united, reigning over The Ottoman Empire, the Third Rome, regardless of what the Russians claim. We ruled many of the actual lands that were part of The Roman Empire, especially The Byzantine Empire, we were recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople as the successors to The Byzantine Empire, and Fatimah and I symbolized the cosmopolitan cooperation that allowed The Roman Empire to function. In this moment, I was sure that the bond between Fatimah and I, the bond between two people from such different backgrounds, me a Crimean Greek, she a North African Arab, was stronger than any bond in Russia. Anastasia may have her power and her ambition, but she doesn't have a wife, she doesn't have what the two of us have.

"It's you and your family, it will work." Fatimah promised me, confirming that broad, diverse cooperation I praised our empire for. Tsarina Anastasia will claim that her Russia is just as diverse, with Tatars, Ruthenians, Kalmyks, Armenians, Karelians, and many other peoples, but that isn't cooperation, that's subjugation. Anastasia forces her Russian Orthodox Church on her people, Anastasia's Russia only has Russian as an official language, and, in her government, she has more foreign converts than actual Russian minorities. Isabella Theresa von Neunkirchen, the Austrian woman Anastasia brought here, is just one of many German women serving Anastasia's government, displaying a reliance on foreign administrators and officials. I am actually rather surprised that Anastasia fell into this trap, I mean, Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani, the Indo-Persian woman, has spent some time in her court, perhaps she's still there, and The Bahmanid Sultanate began to collapse when The Vijayanagara Empire and The Sultanate of Gujarat cut off their access to the Konkan ports, thus cutting off their supply of foreign arrivals. The Tsarina of Russia has a personal link to this failed state, yet she is making some of the same mistakes, rather than relying on her own large and diverse population. I hope that, one day, these mistakes catch up to Russia, the anger and resentment of these minority groups topple Rurikovich ambition, and, all the while, The Ottoman Empire, ruled by my descendants through Abdullah Timur, reigns strong, the ideal beacon of peace and diversity that I want The Ottoman Empire to become.

"Then I will send it." I smiled, wiping away the tears and growing confidant. Perhaps it was a bit hypocritical to judge Russia's reliance on foreigners and then send a letter to invite Genoese citizens to come to Konstantiniyye, but I knew that this was something different. This was a personal matter, a matter of family, this wasn't some trick to strengthen my government or a lack of confidence in my own people. I wasn't sure if Anastasia could even separate family from country at this point, where did her absolutism end and her personality begin? Anastasia's sister, Yelizaveta, was part of many, many of her political schemes, being there for The Treaty of Konstantinovskaya, did the Tsarina of Russia even see her as family or just another political tool? A faceless - well, she is admittedly beautiful, I'm sure Anastasia recognizes that beauty as a political asset, but as an individual, I question if she matters to her sister - vessel to fill with political knowledge, tasked with protecting Anastasia's legacy. I looked over the letter once again and let my anger for Anastasia dissipate, the truth is, I don't know her and her family, I only know of what I've seen of her as an enemy. Enemies, rivals, will never see each other as they truly are, merely as the worst possible version of themselves.

It's clear that Anastasia doesn't want to be my ally and, despite us working together to defend this city, I'll never truly know her or understand her as a person. If I judge her on her behavior towards me, I'll only ever see her as a warmonger, a backstabber, and a schemer, but she has to be more than that, after all, she does have a family and she does seem to believe she's doing the right thing for Russia. Circumstances make us enemies, but I never wanted to be Anastasia's enemy, getting angry and bitter at her now will only increase hostilities. Perhaps it is better to see this as an emotionless, dispassionate rivalry, an effect of geopolitics rather than a personal thing. That felt cold to me, that felt like the line of thought that allowed rulers to send their soldiers to their doom, letting more and more men march off and die over lands and gold, just like those heartless Portuguese commanders I encountered in Arabia, but I suppose this is how war is now. German Princes are waging war against their brothers, cousins, relatives, and friends, all motivated by religion - is the difference between Lutheranism and Catholicism really enough to justify all that death and conquest? Or is it just an excuse to justify conquest and bloodshed for glory and expansion? I don't think that Adolphus Rex hates The Holy Roman Emperor, I don't think that Protestants and Catholics hate each other, but I think religious fervor is a useful motivator for the troops, when in reality, this is Adolphus Rex trying to gain a foothold and power in Germany. This is northern German states breaking even further from the Emperor's authority by rejecting his religious hegemony.

Protestants mean that The Holy Roman Empire is no longer holy, the loss of northern Italy eliminates anything Roman about the state, and the dysfunctional, unstable, and decentralized nature of the state means that it isn't an Empire. That is why The Holy Roman Empire never entered the discussion of who is the Third Rome, the title was always an artifact, always a desperate and false attempt to use the history and prestige of The Roman Empire to legitimize a central European Kingdom. War is a disgusting thing and, increasingly, a meaningless thing, just motivated by greed and personal ambition, but it is a reality, something that isn't going away. I can hope that The Ottoman Empire avoids as much of it as possible, I can hope that Europeans cannibalize each other rather than chipping away at my borders, and I can hope that my descendants don't go and start their own pointless wars, but I know that Ottoman troops will wage wars, both defensive and offensive. The Austrians will try and push ever deeper into Hungary and into Croatia, trying to gain hegemony over the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans, a power base outside of The Holy Roman Empire, something that the Habsburgs will want now that their authority in Germany is diminishing. Lady Krystyna, the Polish noblewoman from The Second Battle of Varna, is also a concern, she is all but confirmed as the next King of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and she seems to hold considerable sway over The Principality of Transylvania, she may also try to push us out of Hungary and she may try and regain Poland's mantle as the so-called Defender of Christendom. The Qara Qoyunlu dynasty in Persia will be desperate to undo my husband's gains and retake Tabriz, their former core lands. All of these are potential avenues for war, I understand that, but I can still hope that, overall, the future of The Ottoman Empire is bright and peaceful.

"Good, send the letter." Fatimah said with a smile before getting up and grabbing my hand "Now come on, you've been spending too much time in your own head."

* * *

Fatimah and I entered our temporary bedroom, the place where we were sleeping while Topkapi Palace was being rebuilt and our new, future palace was still being planned out and envisioned. It was at a relatively undamaged noble estate, one we confiscated from a traditionalist ally of Spartak Pasha, but that didn't really matter, all that mattered to Fatimah and I right now is that it's a comfortable bed for the two of us. I watched as lust filled Fatimah's brown eyes the moment she locked the door, I slowly backed up against the bed, watching as my Grand Vizier slowly, sexily stripped down. A black and gold short cape fell to the ground, exposing her bare shoulders, caramel skin revealing itself to me. She reached behind herself and began untying the green dress, letting it fall to the floor as her long, smooth bare legs stepped out of the pooled up fabric on the floor. The bra came off next, freeing her wonderful little breasts and dark brown nipples, a strand of her black hair hanging over her shoulder, coming down next to her breast like it was framing a painting. Fatimah slowly glided over to me, grabbing both of my hands at the wrists, putting them at her hips so that I could take off her panties, exposing the neatly trimmed tuft of black hair and the eager lips below. I brought the underwear down her healthy thighs before letting them drop past her knees to the floor. My naked Grand Vizier met me with a hungry kiss, the first of many expressions of love we were about to share. I felt her tongue dart between my lips, exploring my mouth as I reciprocated, savoring the kiss, and I moaned into her mouth, my body heating up, and, between that heat and her own horniness, Fatimah decided I was wearing entirely too many clothes.

My red long-sleeved dress couldn't have come off fast enough, Fatimah wanted to see more, far more, so I laid back and bucked my hips to let her pull the dress off of me, and my wife took the opportunity to kiss my underwear, making me whole body shudder, knowing exactly what was coming. My corset was untied and removed next, freeing my breasts, making Fatimah lean in, releasing a hot exhale on my left nipple before taking the plunge and suckling on my nipple. I closed my eyes and laid back, enjoying the sensation and yelping when Fatimah then bit down, gentle enough so as to not hurt, but hard enough to send a shockwave through my entire body. My hands found themselves gripping the bedsheets as Fatimah continued biting and licking at my nipple, meanwhile, her right hand trailed down my stomach, past the stretch marks which never bothered her, down into my underwear, flying over the hair and finding the lips below, rubbing them, making me cry out in pleasure. A wave of pleasure struck my body and Fatimah took the opportunity to switch to my right nipple, and, at the same time, she pushed her knee against her hand, putting more pressure against my vagina, making me cry out in deep pleasure as her pointer and ring fingers ran across the slick outside as her middle finger curled in, held in place against my trashing hips by the subtle strength of her thigh. I don't know if Suleiman III was particularly good at sex, I don't know what a man that's good at sex even looks or feels like, but I know in my heart of hearts that no man could fill me with pleasure the way that Fatimah is now.

Fatimah stopped pressing her hand against me and instead lowered herself down from my breasts, kneeling down on the floor at the foot of the bed. Four fingers hooked into my underwear, two on either side, and she pulled down, leaving both of us completely bare, exposed to one another. Fatimah grabbed my thighs and split my legs apart, resting them over her shoulders and then holding me down by my thighs as she leaned in and began eating me out. I bucked my hips against her mouth, feeling her tongue lick the lips and prod the hood, giving me exactly what I wanted, giving me what I've been waiting for every since she brought her fingers into my panties and against my most sensitive area. I her hands tightened around my thighs and I felt her nails press into the skin, hurting me in the most pleasurable way possible, coming together with the skillful work of her tongue, and my own anticipation from seeing Fatimah's little strip tease. My Grand Vizier adjusted her grip and I felt the cold metal of her wedding ring slide over the red, livid skin she dug into, shaking my body with another wave of pleasure. Everything was coming together perfectly, my wife was doing anything and everything to please me, fingering me, licking me, hurting me, and pleasuring me, all the while, I was remembering everything she was for me. Fatimah was my wife, my Grand Vizier, my closest friend, my confidante, and my lover, she was everything to me and she was driving me ever closer, closer, and closer to climax, this was the perfect moment, we were as united as two people could be, and our relationship had everything. Love, lust, cooperation, and companionship, and I was finally happy and content.

I rose my hips against her mouth, shaking as each and every lick felt visceral, letting me feel everything. I felt my body tense up and release as utter bliss flowed through my body, as I reached my orgasm. I exhaled and sunk into the bed, feeling Fatimah guide me down, before she slipped out from under my legs, laying down on the bed next to me, propped up on one of her arms. I laid down and caught my breath as Fatimah reached across my stomach with the other arm and slowly trailed her fingers across my side, patiently waiting for me to recover and come around to please her. I took my last pleasant breath and reached up, kissing Fatimah, closing my eyes as we made contact, and then, I rolled over so that I was on top of her, straddling the Carthaginian. I released her lips, letting her catch her breath, but immediately afterwards, I leaned into her neck, kissing and biting at it, hearing her breath twist into a gasp as I brought her pleasure. Fatimah already worked me over, but I was already getting excited again, thrilled at the fact that I could have this kind of effect on a woman like her. She was so beautiful, tan skin, ebony hair, and coffee brown eyes, and I could do this to her, I could make her moan, I could make her squirm, and I could make her orgasm. The fact that I could have that affect on Fatimah boosted my own confidence, and motivated me as I moved on from her neck.

I wanted to show my appreciation for Fatimah, loving every inch of her. I floated down Fatimah's body, all the way past her breasts and hips, floating all the way down to the floor, the same spot where Fatimah knelt in front of me, pleasing me. I kissed the tops of Fatimah's feet, then I worked my way up. I kissed her ankles and calves, switching from leg to leg as I made my way up to her knees, then I switched off. I started with her left thigh, kissing the inside of thigh from the knee, all the way up to her hips, hearing her breath quicken as I made my way closer and closer. Fatimah's breath hitched when I switched over to her right thigh, starting from the knee again and building her up once more, seeing her grow wetter and wetter, growing more desperate. I planned on going back up to her torso, kneading her breasts and kissing my way down her torso, but Fatimah whimpered, so desperate, so wanting, and I couldn't even resist. I held one of her thighs with my left hand, then I leaned in, licking at her clit and the top of her lips while I brought my right hand in below my chin, slipping into the needy folds, bringing my Grand Vizier's melodic moans to my ears.

I licked at her and penetrated her with my fingers, working my Grand Vizier over as everything finally seemed to be falling into place. The inevitable war with Russia was already over with, the biggest dread of my reign was already something of the past, meaning I was now the sole mistress of The Ottoman Empire's destiny, no one else would affect my future as much as Anastasia did. Konstantiniyye would be rebuilt, it would be a long and expensive process, but we would emerge from it stronger than ever before, our city a modern beacon of leadership for the Islamic world, a new palace from which Abdullah Timur could begin his reign, and, despite hardships, the city would never lose its status as the city on the crossroads of the world. The Ottoman Empire would be a peaceful state, neutrality guaranteed by strong and modern armies, being raised in the Balkans, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia as we speak, armies that will once again be reinforced by the mighty Janissary elite troops, the comrades and successors of the men who sacrificed themselves so that Fatimah, Abdullah Timur, and I could escape Topkapi Palace and secure the gates. The future is bright and, as Fatimah climaxed against my tongue and fingers, yelling and trashing as she finally released in infinite pleasure, I knew that Konstantiniyye is, always has been, and always will be the City of the World's Desire.

"I love you Helena," Fatimah said in between her pants, resting her hand on her stomach, watching her little body fill up with air and then exhale, never was she more gentle or vulnerable, and never was it easier to love her.

"I love you too Fatimah," I told her, dragging her up the bed with me and kissing her, tasting myself on her tongue and lips as she tasted herself. We laid back down on the bed and I threw the sheets over our naked bodies, pulling her close and falling into a pleasurable sleep.

* * *

"I know you want for you and your men to return to Sweden, but, if you would hear it, I have a counteroffer." I told Field Marshal Ottosson as the guards opened up his cell, letting the man walk free and breath, the informality and the lax security was meant to reassure him, showing him and the rest of the Swedes that they aren't prisoners. The only reason they're still held in these cells is because Konstantiniyye has nowhere else to store this many uninvited foreign soldiers on short notice, especially when most of these men just looted and pillaged there way through the city and its people.

"What would that be?" Ottosson asked, cautiously. I understood why he was cautious, a more sadistic ruler would force this man to choose between two terrible choices, such as only offering him the chance to leave, forcing Ottosson to leave his men behind, or only providing so many supplies, making the Swedes choose very carefully who gets priority, but I wasn't going to do that. The counteroffer I was giving would be very generous, offering the men carved up pieces of confiscated, noble estates, allowing them to bring their families over from Sweden, and then they would be paid handsomely to protect the palace, serving as the new royal bodyguards, the force that would allow the Janissaries to return to the front.

"Well, Field Marshal, have you ever heard of the Varangian Guard?" I asked, smirking as I presented him with my plan, the ancient Viking guardians of the Byzantine Emperor and Constantinople.

* * *

Fatimah held my hand as Abdullah Timur stood in front of us, Captain Draganov slightly to the side and behind, here as both a friend and as a bodyguard. A ship from Genoa docked at the port, I knew that my family was onboard, I knew that I was going to finally meet them for the first time in years, and I was nervous, excited, and terrified all at the same time, impatient to meet them. In two rows, lined up between me and the dock, stood the Varangian Guard, the former Swedish soldiers turned Ottoman bodyguards, dressed in their new black uniforms with gold, white, and red trim, designed as a compromise between their old Swedish uniforms and the more stylized uniforms of the Janissaries. I took a deep breath and Fatimah squeezed my hand, motivating me. I tapped Abdullah Timur on the shoulder with my other hand, queuing him, and the three of us began walking, walking up to meet my family. I saw my father, my mother, my sister, her Italian husband, and their two daughters - my nieces - who I was meeting for the very first time.

I may have lost Theodoro, but I've regained my family from Theodoro, and I consider that a victory, no matter what Anastasia says. She may rename my city Sevastopol, I knew full well that she was indirectly naming it after the Greek version of her title, but she can never take away my birth, my memories, or my family. A family that Fatimah and Abdullah Timur are now fully part of, a family that shall rule The Ottoman Empire in an age of peace and prosperity, a family that shall see us rebound despite the defeats, and a family that shall rebuild Konstantiniyye as we rebuild our bonds.

* * *

Okay, I hope that last scene wasn't too heavy on the whole Vin Diesel-esque Fast and Furious family nonsense, but I wanted to end Helena's story on a happy note. To preserve that happy note, I decided not to include the actual complexities and difficulties with rebuilding the family and settling in Istanbul, instead, I let it be clean and un-muddied.

Last chapter next.


	40. The Princess of The Resurrection

Hello everyone, here we are for the final ten thousand words of this story. By my count, by the end of this chapter, the Russian story will be 229,500 words and the Ottoman story will be 150,500 words, for a total of 380,000 words. That makes this, by far, the longest story I've written to date, and it'll probably remain one of the longest stories I'll ever write. I envisioned this as a relatively short, relatively simple story about two women at war, mainly just for the sake of seeing how a story like this would do on FFN, however, the story quickly grew into something more. The first chapter ended up being a lot more personal and romantic than I had planned, however, I liked it and I went with it, eventually, that evolved into an incestuous relationship between Anastasia and Yelizaveta. I also decided to flesh out act one, giving each character a victorious conflict to go into the Russo-Ottoman War, which I presented as a ten chapter back and forth in the middle of the story. Then, the last major expansion to the story came in the form of adding the final storyline with Prince Adolf and Spartak Pasha, giving our two leads a reason to work together.

As I mentioned back during that chapter, that ending was envisioned long before any rioting or looting here in the United States, any parallels or triggering were not intentional. Really, there were only two ideas that came suddenly during the writing of this story, the first was the role of Krystyna Wlodzislawa. I came up with the Polish noblewoman while writing the story and implemented her. The other idea was adding Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani. I added her for a couple of reasons, one: I started getting interested in Muslim Indian history at the time and I wanted to talk about it in this story, two: I figured she would be more interesting than a one-off Persian character to act as the interloper, and three: she was part of my attempt to more accurately reflect Islamic characters in the second half of the story after a number of mistakes early on.

Anyway, that's enough of the intro. Thank you for reading my story and here is the final chapter. Enjoy.

The Legacy of The Romans.

Act III.

The Civilizations and The Vandals.

Chapter XL.

The Princess of The Resurrection.

* * *

Everywhere I looked in Constantinople, I saw a piece of history. I saw a church or a Mosque or perhaps even both, a reflection of the diversity and the many religions of Constantinople. I saw an ancient, Byzantine chariot racing track being used as the war camp of Prince Adolf and the Swedes, and I saw the Theodosian Walls drenched in blood once again, a testament to the city's strategic value. The history of Constantinople is best reflected in the Hagia Sofia, one of the oldest, largest, and grandest churches in the city. The church was built by Justinian and Theodora and the peak of Byzantine power, the church was converted into a Mosque after the Ottoman conquest, leading to the rise of the minarets, and, at some point in history, a Vandal barbarian carved some graffiti into the Hagia Sophia, immortalizing himself. Constantinople had more history than Moscow, that is true and that will always be true, but that history can be attributed to countless different figures at different times with different allegiances, everywhere I looked in Constantinople I saw someone else's permanent footprint. Moscow, however, is dripping with my blueprint. The White Square is mine, I commissioned The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, I commissioned Saint Sofiya's Cathedral, I commissioned The Aleksander Citadel and The Maria Davidovna Building, I ordered the creation of the German Market, I allowed Yasamin Mirza al-Bahmani and her Shi'ite allies to stay here, laying the foundation for a future oriental district adjacent to White Square, and, soon, I will oversee the creation of the first ever University of Moscow. Constantinople may have more history than Moscow, but everywhere I look in Moscow, I see evidence of my reign. Of course, it didn't hurt that my troops ended up seizing the Swedish loot and taking it with us back to Russia.

Perhaps that is why I'm so satisfied to return home, a protected convoy taking Isabella Theresa and I back to the capital after we returned to Russia with the Army of Crimea. My detractors would say I just care about my capital, my borders, and my power, but that is not all that I am. My Russia will be eternal and my rule will be remembered by every Russian, every Ruthenian, every Byelorussian, every Tatar, every Circassian, every Kalmyk, every Armenian, every Georgian, every Azerbaijani, every Nestorian Christian, every Karelian, and anyone else in my borders. My rule will be remembered, but it is not everything there is about me, and I am not everything there is to my rule. The people are me, including Isabella Theresa, the woman I'm sharing this carriage ride with, have made all of this possible. My military accomplishments wouldn't be possible without the work my father did before his death, my upcoming influence in India wouldn't be possible without cooperating with Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani since The Siege of Yerevan, and my administration wouldn't be possible without Yelizaveta, without Countess Natasha Kukeinos, without Countess Yekaterina Igorevna, without Countess Mariyana Knyazeva, without Countess Maria Hagerloh, without Malgorzata Mazura Grzeskiewicz, and without Isabella Theresa. My friends and family, my allies, have made my current Russia possible.

Lady Krystyna has already left for Bohemia and, soon enough, Yasamin shall leave for the Deccan, both of them going out to spread Russian influence and to give my allies abroad, their contributions to my rule shouldn't be forgotten either. Jan the Prussian may still rule The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but I know that my friendship and, for a time, my relationship, with Krystyna Wlodzislawa has turned Russia's traditional western rival into a loyal ally, an ally which has already proven itself in the war against The Ottoman Empire. Sofiya cannot be forgotten either, she is the key to the future of Russia beyond Yelizaveta and I, and, her marriage to Prince Christopher is the key to our alliance with Denmark-Norway against the Swedes. That alliance also comes with a potential opportunity, an opportunity to establish ourselves in Holstein-Gottorp, giving us a foothold in The Holy Roman Empire, if we're able to displace the local, Swedish supported faction. Many, many people have contributed to the rise of my Russia and many, many more will contribute to its expansion and future, expansion into the Baltic, intro Central Asia, and all the way towards the Pacific. Krystyna's work may take Russian influence as far as Naples and Holstein-Gottorp could serve as an opportunity to play a role in northern and western Europe, beyond our traditional reach and influence. I may be the Tsarina, I may be the guiding force behind Russia's ambition, but I am just the beginning, opportunities and alliances shall take us further as Yelizaveta one day ascends to the throne, a throne that will, no doubt, be even larger and even stronger when she passes it on to Sofiya and Christopher's heirs. The future of Russia looks bright, an absolute monarchy with a talented and established hierarchy.

"What are you thinking about?" Isabella Theresa asked, noticing that, ever since we entered Moscow, I've been looking out of the window with a smirk on my face, I had to admit that did seem a bit weird. On the other hand, I didn't think it was a bad thing, I was the most powerful woman in the world, I've conquered Byelorussia, Ruthenia, and Zaporizhia, I've subjugated The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, I've defeated The Ottoman Empire, taking Crimea and Caucasia in the process, and I've defeated Prince Adolf to save Constantinople. I am both the savior of Constantinople and the one to benefit from the looting of the city, ensuring that only Russia has benefitted from the Battle of Constantinople, not The Ottoman Empire, nor The Kingdom of Sweden. I have earned the right to reflect on my power and enjoy it, I have won great victories and my reign has only just begun, the whole world will fear and respect me by the end of my reign. I have a moment of peace, a moment to celebrate my reign and manage my Moscow directly, a moment I get to finally spend with Yelizaveta, I can enjoy this moment, because, soon enough, I will once again be overseeing a Tsardom of Russia at war, with troops marching against Sweden and against the Hordes of Central Asia and Siberia.

"I'm thinking about my successes, our successes. Two centuries ago, Moscow was a pitiful city in a cold, desolate forest, just another Rurikovich Principality under Tatar rule as The Golden Horde reigns over Russia from the steppe. We were nothing, just another conquered Russian city, but then, the Tatars, playing politics between the Rurikovich lines, gave Moscow the privilege of collecting taxes. We seized upon this opportunity, embezzling from the Mongols to build up our city, going from a pathetic stockade to a proper city, a proper seat of power, and slowly, right under the noses of The Golden Horde, we expanded our influence and control over the other Russian states. Eventually, we were strong enough to free ourselves from Tatar control, emerging as one of two powerful Russian states. Our rise to greatness was confirmed when we defeated our rivals, The Grand Republic of Novgorod, leading to the proclamation of The Tsardom of Russia. At that point, we would strike against the remnants of The Golden Horde, conquering The Great Horde and The Khanate of Kazan, we expanded against The Nogai Horde and absorbed the Circassian tribes. The wild expanses of Siberia were next, settling the untamed potential and displacing the northernmost Uzbek and Kazakh raiders. Russia did all of that, but we were still weak, Moscow itself was still vulnerable to attacks by The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, but my father began turning things around, building up our military and chasing the Poles all the way back to Smolensk. My father died and I ascended onto the throne, think about how much stronger Russia has become under my reign, think about how much I've expanded this country and how much potential we have in the future. Now you'll see why I was so zoned out, Russia is limitless now." I explained, tempting Isabella Theresa's own ambitious mind, knowing that the militarily minded woman would think about all the potential for conquest and expansion.

"Russia has come a long way, you're right, and your reign has expanded Russia tremendously. You've added so many new territories, so many new groups of people, and you've increased the population immensely, all of that increases Russia's future potential. Countess Kukeinos and I already started planning on fighting the Swedes in Livonia and Karelia, taking Vyborg, the lands of The Livonian Order, and Swedish Karelia. Countess Knyazeva is undermining The Ottoman Empire by establishing the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and Countess Hagerloh has been reaching out to contacts everywhere from Prussia to Wurttemberg to building her German Market. You're right, we're all working hard to expand Russia even further and increase our influence. I was born in Austria, but I have to admit, there is nowhere where I'd rather be, I feel like I'm part of the most powerful government in the world, I feel like my actions have more weight in Russia than they would anywhere else in the world, Moscow feels like the most important place in the world." Isabella Theresa admitted and I couldn't help but smile. Isabella Theresa has pride in my Russia, a country she has no natural connection to, and she sees the importance and the significance of Moscow right now. The Tsardom of Russia is a great power, it is a country on the rise, and our ambitions are virtually endless, that is why the Austrian feels this way, she finally gets to be a strategist here, and here, she has more power than she ever would in Austria or in The Palatinate of the Rhine.

"I know, I am so grateful that Bathory Terezia recommended all of you, every single one of you presented such a good case, I couldn't help but find a role for every single one of you in my court. Natalia may be the foreign minister, but know that all of you have a place, and know that, by now, you've all surpassed what Terezia could do for me, as a group, you are the greatest asset Russia has. I know that, any order I give, any task I have, I have some very, very capable hands to carry it out." I smiled, sincerely thanking Isabella Theresa, the other candidates, and Yekaterina Igorevna, who volunteered on her own, the Englishwoman seizing the opportunity all by herself, becoming more than her father's unwanted daughter. I loved having a court of women, they were all talented and ambitious, and, at the same time, they were satisfied with their current station, a massive increase in power. I gave these women the chance everyone else refused, therefore, I get their talents, and, at the same time, I don't have to face the consequences of an ambitious court. If I had men in these positions, the power would corrupt them, making them think they could seize power, some by marrying me, some by overthrowing me, and others yet by undermining me, but these women were different, this was their first taste of power, they understood the value of their positions, and, despite their ambition, they weren't going to take this for granted. I have no fear from Natalia, Isabella Theresa, Yekaterina, or anyone else, they're loyal and they're grateful, and, at the same time, they're still incredibly useful.

"Thank you, my Tsarina, it has been a pleasure working for you." Isabella Theresa smiled just as our carriage stopped in White Square, a healthy welcoming committee gathered in the square for my arrival. Isabella left the carriage first - as is tradition, after all, I was the main event - and then I got up, taking a deep breath and stepping down from the carriage, assisted by a pair of obedient servants. I looked out at the crowd awaiting me, the palace guards - traditionally, this role was given to the Streltsy, renounced marksmen and the personal guards of Russian rulers, however, throughout their history, the bearded Streltsy in their red uniforms, became politically motivated and thus, became a threat, therefore, I've replaced them with more typical, more western palace guards - and behind them, the crowds of Russian people, but they were not just Russians. German and Scandinavian traders were already coming to Moscow, Indian and Persian figures loyal to Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani mingled with Russians, coming to see me, and my new Moscow was already drawing in minorities from every part of Russia, meaning that Tatars, Circassians, and Ruthenians, amongst other groups, were present in this crowd. Then, in the center of the Square, standing next to my mother, was Yelizaveta, my Tsarevna, my sister, and my lover, her head framed by The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace. The sight was beautiful, but she had a beautiful sight of her own, with Saint Sofiya's Cathedral towering behind me, the symbol of my Russian Orthodox Church, my control.

I made my way over to Liz, slowly, regally, but a smile on my face as I would finally see her again. Sofiya and Christopher were absent, evidently still on their visit to Copenhagen, but they would return soon enough, ready to give birth to Russia's future. The crowds cheered when, behind us, my soldiers began wheeling the wagons of gold and loot into White Square. Pieces of Constantinople's wealth and greatness would now embellish Moscow, elevating my city even further, the Third Rome, the city on seven hills, the home of the true, Orthodox Church, would now have a tangible, material connection to Constantinople. Relics, pieces of that history, would join the relics of The House of Komnenos and their Empire of Trebizond here in Moscow. Now, Palaiologos and Komnenos, the final two Byzantine Empires, would both see continuity in Moscow, both via a blood connection to Yelizaveta, Sofiya, and I, and by these looted relics from Trebizond and Constantinople. I couldn't wait to see Yelizaveta's face light up with curiosity and wonder as I told her the story of the raid, I couldn't wait to see her work with me as we worked to build up Moscow with all of these foreign riches, and I couldn't wait to just be with her again, my favorite person.

Our love was complicated, I knew that it was incestuous, I knew that it was taboo, even more taboo than lesbianism already is. Krystyna and I had to keep our relationship secret, but we could tell some trusted people, those people, albeit some begrudgingly, accepted my sexuality, a few even supporting me, but this relationship, we had to keep it entirely secret. Sofiya could never know, our mother could never know - the poor woman couldn't take it - and, even our trusted, lesbian inner circle couldn't know, as this was incestuous and taboo, even by their standards. I knew that, as the older sister, as the one who Yelizaveta's world revolves around, I wield an unhealthy amount of power and influence in this relationship, power and influence I've already misused with that night I had with Krystyna at Konstantinovskaya, but was that fine if Yelizaveta wanted this anyway? I didn't know, there were a lot of secrets and a lot of uncertainties with this, and I still knew that it was wrong, even if we weren't hurting anyway, but I couldn't resist this. I wanted Yelizaveta and she wanted me, ever since that night in Minsk this has been inevitable, and, at this point, despite the secrets, despite the sins, it may be healthier for us, safer for us, if we simply go ahead with this, our secret, illicit relationship, the final dark secret of The House Rurikovich. I will die, Yelizaveta will reign, but then, unfortunately, she too, will die, and then, the throne shall pass to Sophie's descendants, children of The House von Holstein-Gottorp, but from them, a new, Russian dynasty shall arise.

"Yelizaveta, mother," I greeted regally, limiting my expression to a soft smile, both of them knew that I meant more and that I would show them more in private, but right now, I was limited by royal protocol. I locked my blue eyes with my sister's matching pair, conveying just how much I missed her while I was away in Constantinople, but it was a necessary separation. The war with Poland came before I truly concentrated royal power and Terezia was reigning in my place in Moscow while Yelizaveta and I were off on The Russo-Ottoman War, but this time, one of us needed to be in Moscow, and I certainly wasn't going to send Yelizaveta off to a city at war, not while I'm able to go instead. The fact is, she reigned in my place, she had the most important job in all of Russia while I was off in Constantinople, and, in her success, she proved that I was right to trust her and she proved that Russia will have a bright and prosperous future.

"We should head into the Palace, we have a lot to discuss." My mother announced, abruptly, she kept the facade of a smile on her face despite an urgency, I could sense that she wanted to speak honestly and freely as soon as possible. I turned around for just a moment, observing my subjects, and nodded at Isabella Theresa, giving the Austrian noblewoman the silent order to get our loot out of the square. Isabella Theresa voiced my order to the troops, who wheeled the riches away, where I shall later incorporate them into my Moscow. Satisfied, I turned around and walked with my family into the Palace, leaving the crowd to gather amongst themselves before they would, inevitably, disperse and return to their lives. I wanted my people to be happy, because, while yes, ultimately, it didn't matter if they were happy so long as they weren't rebelling, I wanted to build up their loyalty. Yelizaveta would be a fine ruler, and our touch would ensure that the next few rulers of Russia will be educated and rule accordingly to our example, but eventually, our successors will make mistakes and anger the populace. An angry populace could cause a revolt, especially among the peasants and serfs who were destined to remain at the bottom of society, and that was a threat I wanted to avoid, therefore, I wanted my populace to be happy, I wanted every Russian family to tell their children of how their lives and their country improved under my reign, and I wanted my successors to use that loyalty to their advantage. All of that would, of course, happen from The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, the very building that Yelizaveta, our mother, and I just entered. I was finally back home and I was with the people who I loved and trusted most.

"My Nastya, thank God you're okay," my mother immediately enveloped me in a tight hug, burying her face in the crook of her neck, where I felt her warm tears begin to flow. I hugged her back, realizing that her impatience stemmed from a deep worry. My mother had only just gotten Yelizaveta and I back after years off in the Caucasus at war, hell, we marched all the way Baghdad while the poor woman was left in Moscow, hoping she didn't lose someone else after spending so long mourning after my father's death. She went through all of that, only for me to leave practically as soon as I returned off to fight a confusing battle against the Swedes, in defense of the enemy I just vanquished. Surely to my mother, this must have seemed like a foolish and risky decision, endangering my life in someone else's fight, but hopefully, between the riches I recovered, the fact that I saved Constantinople, and the fact that, by the end of the raid, I've managed to undermine my enemies in Sweden, The Ottoman Empire, Persia, and Austria all at once, she will understand and she will be impressed.

"Hello mother, of course I'm okay. Isabella Theresa and I were never really in any danger." I assured her. That wasn't entirely true, being present at the battlefield means there's always a chance of something going horrifically wrong, but we were well behind the front lines, the Austrian and I were essentially just observers giving orders, neither of us even used a weapon at any point during our trip. That being said, considering I just admitted that I wouldn't sent Yelizaveta into a battle without me, I can hardly blame my mother for worrying. It's easy to say something is safe for myself, it's a lot harder to say that something is safe for somebody else, especially somebody who I love and cherish as much as Liz. I will never be a mother, I've already decided that, but I will play some sort of role in the lives of my nieces and nephews via Sofiya, so perhaps then I'll understand, perhaps then I'll see why my mother wants me to stay safe, why she was disappointed I didn't marry Prince Adolf, and why she struggles to accept my sexuality. I don't think I'll agree with it, after all, I'm a very different person than my mother, but maybe I'll see why she's been like this, maybe. Motherhood is a complicated thing, I'm sure.

"Hello Nastya," Yelizaveta finally spoke up, standing there in her gold and white dress, appearing the very picture of elegance. Gold, the color of riches and one of the main colors of my Russia, looked perfect on her, hugging her ivory white skin, the skin which framed her powerful, stunning blue eyes, and a curtain of blonde hair sunk down to her shoulders, the pale strands of hair melting into the gold and white of her dress. Then again, Yelizaveta looked beautiful no matter what she wore, a wonderful reflection of myself, she was my younger sister, but she could pass for my twin. I didn't know if that was part of the reason why I found her attractive, after all, that's narcissistic even by my standards, but I couldn't deny that she was beautiful, and, if that meant that I was beautiful by extension, I didn't think that there was anything wrong with that. I felt my smile grow as I approached Yelizaveta, giving her a tight embrace, already wishing that I could kiss her here and now, but I'll settle for feeling her body against mine. The smooth, blemishless, pale skin just below that golden fabric, just two dresses between my skin and her skin, something I've wanted to touch, to feel for so long, but there was always something. First, there was my own fear of the taboo, my own horrified reaction, then, once we finally accepted this, there was my unfortunate mistake, and just as we recovered from that, Prince Adolf interfered in my plans, but he is no more, there is nothing left to stop us, nothing left to keep us from finally making love in our palace.

"Hello Liz, I missed you," I muttered into her ear as we kept the hug up as long as was socially acceptable. Mother knew that we were close, even as sisters, so we could get away with a lengthy embrace, but even then, it wasn't enough, I wanted more, but it would have to wait. I wouldn't have to wait too long though, because, based on her Liz's body needily conformed to mine, she was just as desperate for this as I was. It felt wonderful to know that there was nothing more to stop us, no distractions, no delays, and no more mistakes, we can finally move forward, regardless of the fact that it's taboo, regardless of the fact that it's incest. Yelizaveta is incredibly beautiful and she wants to be with me, I want to be with her and I am the absolutist ruler of Russia, the divinely chosen monarch of one of the largest countries in the world, a mere societal taboo shouldn't stop me, stop us. The main risks of incest don't even affect us, as we couldn't have children even if we wanted to, as far as I'm concerned, this is okay, this is harmless, and this is wanted.

"I'm glad you're back," Yelizaveta smiled before we finally, somewhat reluctantly, had to separate. I watched with admiration of my own as Liz quickly and effortlessly settled into a regal pose, morphing from Liz, my beloved sister, to Tsarevna Yelizaveta, my trusted and talented heiress. I couldn't help but be impressed at how far she's come, a few short years ago she would rather lounge around Kolomenskoye and read than confront a politician, she was a quiet, intelligent woman, but now, she's kept that intelligence, increased it if anything, but added wit, stubbornness, and experience to her arsenal. Liz twice stood up to me and forced me to make a decision, first at Kiev and then at Trebizond, both of these were times when she stood up to me in order to make this relationship a reality, and this stubbornness will make Yelizaveta a better ruler in the future. A Tsarina must be strong, ambitious, and uncompromising, able to keep the bureaucracy, military, and nobility under her thumb, having a clear vision to keep moving Russia forward, and she shouldn't lessen her expectations for anyone. Incompetence and corruption has no place in my Russia, the luxury exists as a symbol of our wealth and power, not as an excuse for decadence, and I will remove useless courtiers and nobles in Moscow to make room for useful and talented ones, should I need to. I am proud of Yelizaveta because she is living up to my example. The future of Russia personified continued to impress me by asking what happened in Constantinople, ready to listen and learn "How did it go anyway? You're here, alright and okay, and we've heard that Prince Adolf was executed by the Turks, but how exactly did all of that happen?"

"Isabella Theresa and I marched to Constantinople and joined up with Sultana Helena's forces. We retook their palace and killed Spartak Pasha, the man responsible for the Turkish side of the coup, then we faced the Swedes at the Hippodrome, defeating them and capturing Prince Adolf. Helena and Fatimah had Adolf executed and, at the same time, I had my soldiers confiscate the loot the Swedes captured. The Swedish Field Marshal then surrendered to Helena with the rest of his forces. The Swedes were defeated and Helena's position was secure, so, we returned to Russia, taking the riches of Constantinople with us. Sweden's raid was defeated, my enemies learned that my guarantee of The Ottoman Empire was serious, and all of the loot went to my Russia anyway, I see it as a complete and utter victory." I gave my mother and sister a condensed version of the story, knowing I would talk to them both in more detail later on, what matters now is just that they know, broadly, what happened, the more specific details could wait. My mother still wasn't entirely convinced, not entirely understanding my guarantee or why I wanted The Ottoman Empire to remain strong, but I had to understand that her perspective was different from mine.

My mother was a Georgian Princess, she grew up in a country where The Ottoman Empire was viewed as an existential threat, not as a rival which could be defeated, in fact, the very reason that my mother married my father was to secure an alliance between Georgia and Russia. Maria Davidovna came to love my father, but her marriage was motivated by political survival, it's hard for her to comprehend that Russia could now rip The Ottoman Empire piece for piece. I could understand that, it must be difficult to change perspective that rapidly, she must think I'm insane for thinking that lands from Bosnia to Yemen and from the Persian Gulf to Algiers could become Russian, but the truth is, any lands I keep from my enemies could fall into Russia's hands. I have proven that The Tsardom of Russia is more powerful than The Ottoman Empire, so long as my successors could maintain that advantage - if not increase it - then much of their empire could be absorbed by my Tsardom. Perhaps taking Arabia, Egypt, and North Africa is a step too far, but I could take the Balkans, liberate Tsargrad, and then take Anatolia to link my Caucasian lands with these theoretical Balkan holdings. All of The Ottoman Empire may be a step too far, but I think that taking the Turkish heartlands is certainly possible, after all, we've taken the strongholds of The Golden Horde which once subjugated all of Russia.

"Well, my daughter is back, that is the most important thing for me. Now, I just need my Sofiya and my new son-in-law back." my mother announced, leaving the room satisfied. Maria Davidovna quickly took a charm to Prince Christopher, liking him personally as well as liking the fact that she finally had a son-in-law and a way to get grandchildren. I, again, felt hurt by how much happier my mother seemed to be with her heterosexual - well, Countess Yekaterina seems to think Sophie is more likely to be bisexual - daughter than she is with Yelizaveta or myself, however, I'm a fan of the marriage myself. Prince Christopher has given us an alliance with Denmark, allowing us, with the help of our allies in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, to encircle The Kingdom of Sweden, not only that, but he has offered us an avenue of taking Holstein-Gottorp, giving us a foothold in The Holy Roman Empire. All of this came in addition to the only real requirement, the fact that Sofiya is happy and with a good man who cares about her, I couldn't think of a better scenario for my youngest sister. I hope she is enjoying her Danish honeymoon. I turned to Liz, finally in private and kissed her, savoring her lips, before grabbing her hand and moving to the throne room. I faced the golden double-headed eagle, the symbol of my Russia, before turning and finally taking my throne again, my sister obediently taking her spot standing next to me.

* * *

"Pleasure to see you back, Anastasia," Yasamin Mirza Shahi al-Bahmani greeted, the Indo-Persian woman bowing before Yelizaveta and I she entered the throne room. Liz told me that their camp had grown since my last visit and that the woman basically had a government formed, with Persians, Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Turkmen, Indians, and even a Sumatran all playing various roles. The Bahmanid Sultanate was practically formed again, having everything but the land and the army, but the army was almost ready as well, with Yasamin and her subordinates basically preparing a shadow army within The Mughal Empire, especially within the subjugated vassal territories of the Deccan Sultanates. These Shia Persian and loyal Indian soldiers are already there, hiding in plain sight, just waiting for Yasamin and her government to arrive in India and call for the troops to gather. These hidden soldiers will then gather their weapons, armor, and banners, flocking to the cause, ready to face against both The Mughals and Vijayanagar alike. Yasamin was going to take the Deccan by storm, permanently changing the history of India, shaking The Mughals to their core and confining the Timurid successor state to northern India, meanwhile, Vijayanagar will face a new Bahmanid Sultanate, one much stronger and much smarter than the one they defeated before. The City of Victory will struggle to maintain their control over Mysore, the Tamil Nadu, and the Malayalam people while facing Yasamin, permanently changing the power dynamics of southern India.

"Thank you Yasamin, my sister tells me you've been very busy. I can only imagine how much your efforts will shake Delhi and Vijayanagar both." I smirked, imagining how the two states might react to the revival of The Bahmanid Sultanate. Her actions may have far-reaching consequences, well beyond the Deccan and southern India. The disturbance of Vijayanagar's authority will likely leave the island of Ceylon vulnerable to European conquest, with the Portuguese eager to regain influence after their losses in Arabia and new powers like England, the Netherlands, and France just now expanding into the Indian Ocean. Disrupting Mughal authority, meanwhile, could lead to deeply cultural regions like Bengal and Gujarat asserting their independence from a Mughal Empire that has been proven to not be an unstoppable and invincible force, it could also lead to Persian and Afghan nations questioning the Mughals western borders, which still extend into old Timurid lands, including Kabul, a large and desirable city at the crossroads of Central Asia, India, and Persia, and finally, disrupting Mughal authority could lead to civil war or a succession crisis in Delhi itself. I say Delhi, though a Mughal succession crisis could lead to power shifting to Lahore or Agra, as both cities have also served as seats of authority and capitals of The Mughal Empire before. A reborn Bahmanid Sultanate would massively impact India and much of Asia.

"We won't have to imagine much longer, Tsarina Anastasia, because me and my government are almost ready. We aim to arrive in India through the Konkan ports and meet our hidden troops outside of Bidar. We want to claim the old Bahmanid capital, repel Mughal authority, and capture the other Deccan Sultanates, including Hyderabad. Once the old Bahmanid territories are claimed, we intend to push further through the Kannada, Maratha, and Telugu country of India, battling against both The Mughals and the City of Victory. Once peace and stability is established, we want to expel the Portuguese from Goa, using the city as the primary port of entry for our Gharbian guests. I would like to offer Russia a fortified area of the port of Goa, along with warehouses and a factory, in order to repay you for your kindness and your help." Yasamin explained, letting me know the steps of her conquests. The Deccan Sultanates - Bidar, Bijapur, Berar, Ahmednagar, and Golconda - were under Mughal and Vijayanagar control, but Yasamin would conquer them all and restore a sovereign, Bahmanid state, and this state would need guests from Persia, Arabia, and other Islamic lands to the west of India, al-Gharb in Arabic, hence, these foreign arrivals were called Gharbians. A presence at Goa, including manufacturing capabilities, could bring massive amounts of cloth, spices, porcelain, and other oriental trade goods to Russia, via ships sailing all the way from Russia, around Africa, to India. I was happy to see Yasamin was already eager to pay off her perceived debt, as, even though I was satisfied simply to deny my enemies a presence in that part of India, I was even happier to have a loyal ally that was willing to assist Russia in establishing a small presence in southern India.

"I can't wait to hear about your success, I look forward to learning about my new ally, holding the Deccan and beyond outright, and holding sway and power from Afghanistan to Burma. I am also grateful that you're considerate enough to offer Russia a presence at Goa, however, there is something more I would like to ask for. A mutual friend of ours, Lady Krystyna, is currently working to establish herself in Bohemia, The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and beyond. Should the opportunity present itself, I think that she could do some great things with a similar concession on the Indian Ocean." I plotted, knowing that Krystyna would immediately play such an asset to her advantage, pushing it as far as possible. Polish ships on the Indian Ocean, for instance, could further deny my enemies and, indirectly, increase Russian influence in the region, doing it through The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Overall, such a development may be more significant than a Russian presence at Goa, as, despite Russia being stronger, Poland is perhaps more capable of reaching India. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has never been known as a particular navy, but with significant Prussian ports on the Baltic Sea and Moldavian ports on the Black Sea, Poland is better positioned than Russia to become a naval superpower. Russia has ports on the Black Sea, yes, and we are using those ports well, especially Ochakiv and now Sevastopol, but our main naval port is Arkhangelsk, all the way in the frigid arctic waters of the north, meaning that Poland has higher navy potential, even if we are currently using more of our limited potential.

"Very well then, Tsarina Anastasia, I will try and accommodate the Poles should they be able to reach the Indian Ocean. I want to enjoy as much contact with Europe as possible, ensuring that my Sultanate remains as modern as possible, doing everything to avoid falling into obscurity." Yasamin accepted, accepting this as an avenue of knowledge rather than an additional concession to make. I liked that about Yasamin, nothing was going to stop her or dampen her ambitions, I gave her another request, a request she didn't need to accept, but instead, she decided to turn this to her advantage. I had to be careful with this arrangement, if made the wrong move, I could forced to compete with Lady Krystyna as Yasamin played us off of each other, both of us trying to strengthen ourselves when, in reality, we were really just strengthening The Bahmanid Sultanate and wasting our money and resources. Three of the most capable women in the world were walking into a whole new arrangement, and the slightest mistake could completely change the power dynamic the three of us share. In any case, for now, I was in control and I was very aware of what was happening around me and what could happen, therefore Russia should remain dominant over Poland and the Deccan.

* * *

I entered a special meeting room in The Anastasia and Yelizaveta Palace, seeing my noblewoman gathered in the various seats, Yelizaveta sitting in the seat just right of the one waiting for me at the head of the table. I sat down and I looked out at my braintrust, the new heads of the Russian government. Countess Natasha sat here as our Foreign Minister, Countess Yekaterina and Maria Hagerloh were here representing our financial, economic, and trade concerns, Countess Mariyana was my Minister of the Interior, Malgorzata Mazura Grzeskiewicz was here as Ambassador to Poland, ready to receive instructions on how to proceed with her mission in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Isabella Theresa, her credentials confirmed by the Battle of Constantinople, was here representing our military. Yelizaveta sat next to my, my heir and Russia's future, ready to observe and jump in with whatever insights her bright young mind could produce.

"Ladies, you have brought much to Moscow. You have brought incredible experience, a diverse range of perspectives, and your own very capable minds, but Moscow needs something else to truly be the wonderful city we all want it to be: a university. The University of Moscow must be an institution on par with the established places of higher learning in Europe, at minimum, I want to create a school just as good, if not better, than the Jagiellonian and Vilnius Universities in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. I want to hear what you all can provide to this school." I announced, moving a step forward in my plans to establish a university. My initial targets with Jagiellonian University in Krakow and the other famous Polish-Lithuanian institution, Vilnius University, as I didn't want my former rival turned ally to have an advantage over my new Russia. The University of Prague and the Collegium Nordicum in Olomouc, both of which would soon fall into Krystyna's Bohemia, were also targets of mine, as well as the University of Konigsberg in the Polish vassals of Prussia, but, first and foremost, I wanted to surpass the Poles. I wanted to draw people to Russia to learn rather than having to see Russians go abroad for an education or have to draw in learned people from foreign nations. These women are an excellent asset to Russia, but I don't want to rely on them forever.

"The war in Germany is disrupting the universities there, both Catholic ones and Protestant ones, even Prague University isn't able to operate with the Swedish occupation. I can use my contacts in Lubeck and Hohenzollern-Haigerloch to attract German professors and teachers to Russia. Their students can then become the first generation of Russian professors and educators." Countess Maria Hagerloh proposed, a brilliant suggestion, taking advantage of the international situation to benefit Russia, attracting talented teachers from the great universities throughout Germany.

"During peacetime, when strategists aren't necessary, I could teach some classes myself. I was tutored in German, Latin, and mathematics in Vienna." Isabella Theresa offered, leveraging her own abilities and knowledge, I liked this as well. I needed Natasha to be my Foreign Minister, Malgorzata would be off in Poland, and Yekaterina, Mariyana, and Maria were also Ministers of mine, but Isabella Theresa was actually free to teach, and, unless a revolt were to occur, she would be free until I launch my war against Sweden. That means that the Austrian, more than anyone else, has the chance.

"From my work with the Patriarch to establish the Serbian and Bulgarian Churches, I think that we could also establish a theology program at this university. Orthodox Christians from Russia, Poland, the Balkans, and beyond will be drawn to Moscow to learn, to teach, and to discuss religion, that could further your religious goals as well as provide prestige for your secular university." Mariyana proposed, the Serbian from Transylvania applying one of her projects to the university. She was right as well, a religious role for the university would draw in more students, assist in my religious goals, and add the legitimacy of the Russian Orthodox Church to the new institution that the University of Moscow would be. Hagerloh would bring in foreign professors, Mariyana would make sure it becomes a major religious place of learning, and Isabella Theresa would become a professor herself. The stage was set for the University of Moscow to become one of the greatest places of higher learning in all of eastern Europe, only growing in acclaim as it produced and drew in more and more pupils.

* * *

My mother smiled deeply as she stood next to Countess Yekaterina, Yelizaveta, and I, the three of us at the head of yet another welcoming committee, this time for the returning Tsarevna Sofiya and Prince Christopher. I watched as the carriage entered White Square and Prince Christopher got out first, the redheaded Danish Prince looking refreshed and regal after a visit back home. He was dress in black leather boots, white trousers, and a dark red coat beneath a white and gold sash. The Princes hair was grown long but tied into a ponytail and he wore a red goatee on his face. I couldn't help but notice that he dressed similarly to Prince Adolf, but I suppose that's to be expected, this is the typical fashion of a Scandinavian Lutheran Prince, an outfit that painted Christopher as a warrior and a leader of troops, while the hairstyle was common amongst leading Protestant Princes in Germany and Scandinavia. Prince Christopher, ever the gentlemen, gave his hand to assist Sofiya out of the carriage, revealing my sister in a blue and gold dress, but there was something different about her.

As the youngest of us three sisters approached us, a whisper tore through the crowd as everyone could see the small but clear hump of Sophie's stomach, everyone could see that my little sister was pregnant. I glanced at Countess Yekaterina, wondering how the English redhead would react, but she didn't seem all that surprised, perhaps the two of them were sharing a correspondence. I wouldn't be surprised if Sofiya told her as soon as she found out and saved it for us as a surprise, after all, I could only imagine that Sophie would want to speak with a confidante upon finding out that she was pregnant. I wasn't sure how to react, first of all, I was happy, happy because Sofiya and Christopher were having a child, and happy because that child, whether male or female, would be Russia's heir, on the other hand, I was completely caught off guard. I didn't know that she would be pregnant so soon. Perhaps the greatest irony is that the most fertile generation of Rurikovich Princesses consists of two lesbians and a bisexual.

"Sofiya...you're pregnant!" My mother practically blurted out upon seeing Sofiya, the Georgian Princess and Russian Tsaritsa overcome with happiness. Yelizaveta and I were happy for our sister as well, but out reactions were more subdued, more reasonable. Yekaterina, meanwhile, came over to Sophie's left side, opposite of Prince Christopher and asked Sofiya if she needed any help. My sister laughed it off for now, but two things, one: I'd imagine Yekaterina and Christopher would have to help out Sofiya more, especially if she becomes heavily pregnant, and two: based on the rapid reaction and the grateful look Sofiya gave her, perhaps Yekaterina was on to something after all. I glanced at Christopher and Yekaterina, it seemed that, regardless of gender, Sofiya had a thing for redheads, and she seems to be juggling two lovers at once, one, her Danish husband, and the other, her Anglo-Russian lover.

"Yes, I know," Sofiya made a breathy smile, clearly anticipating this reaction "We found out in Copenhagen. I panicked and sent Yekaterina a letter, not knowing what to do, not sure if I should tell you or Christopher, but she was able to calm me down with her reply. I told Christopher but I wanted it to be a surprise for all of you. So...surprise."

"Have you thought of names yet?" Yelizaveta asked, letting more of her excitement out as we started walking back to the Palace, the middle sister eager to be an aunt and, additionally, she was probably already very aware of the fact that the child in Sofiya's stomach would be her heir, unless Sophie had a change in heart later in life and decided to succeed Yelizaveta as Tsarina after all.

"If it's a girl, I think I have to go with Yekaterina, after all the help and advice that my dear friend Countess Igorevna gave me." Sofiya explained, Yelizaveta and I shared a satisfied glance, the name also reminding us of the book about Yekaterina and Tatiana, the book which helped us both realize our sexuality. Sofiya could have named her daughter after one of us, but I understood why she wanted to do this and I wasn't going to demand a child named after myself, I'm sure that another Princess Anastasia will come soon enough anyway. In any case, Sofiya continued "If it's a boy, I wanted to name him after our ambitions, after our new Russia. We are the Third Rome, so...why not name our next Tsar Roman?"

"I like it," I immediately answered, understand where Sofiya was coming from and liking the name itself. We could have mind a son after our father, but again, that was reaching into our past when we could be looking forward to our future. Another Tsar Aleksander would come in the future, for now, we are the Third Rome, we are the saviors of Constantinople, and we have flooded Moscow with Byzantine relics, now is the time for a Tsar Roman. I liked Sofiya's name suggestions, if it was a girl, we would have Tsarina Yekaterina I, solidifying Russian cognatic succession, and if it was a boy, we would have Tsar Roman I, he would be of The House von Holstein-Gottorp, but I knew what the new Russian dynasty we would usher in would be. The House Rurikovich would die with us, but, after a brief interlude under the Holstein-Gottorp branch of the Oldenburg dynasty, Russia would see the rise of The House Romanov.

* * *

"Are you ready?" I asked Yelizaveta, the two of us holding hands outside the door of my bedroom, knowing exactly what would happen the moment those doors opened. Liz took a deep breath and then nodded, then, acting rather than speaking, she closed the distance between us with a kiss. Our lips touched and sent us into infinite lust, this was really happening, we were really going to make love. Lips still locked in a kiss, we opened the doors and slipped into my room, I took the opportunity to pin Yelizaveta against the wall, holding her body and increasing the intensity. I felt Yelizaveta grab at her dress and pull it up, freeing her legs so that she could grip my waist with her thighs, she then threw her arms around my neck so that I was fully supporting separated to take a deep breath, both of our pale cheeks growing red as we realized how quickly we were nothing and how intense things got already, but neither of us were prepared to stop any time soon. We wanted this, both of us, Liz ready to shed her virginity, and I ready to shed this taboo that's been holding me back for this long.

"I want you to take me to the bed," Yelizaveta said, somewhere between a request and an order, I obliged, walking her over to the bed. I wasn't particularly strong, but Yelizaveta was a feather light woman and her grip was secure. I carried her over to the bed and I kissed her again, obeying my little sister, heiress, and lover. The strap of her dress had already fallen off of her shoulder at some point during our lustful approach to the bed, so...I was ready. I untied her dress and then pulled down the other strap, before pulling off the garment entirely. Yelizaveta rose her hips so that I could clear her bottom and then the rest of the dress came quickly, already lifted to free her legs earlier. Liz was left in just a corset, underwear, and stockings, all of which were quickly discarded. The ivory breasts revealed themselves first, hard, pink nipples exposed to the cool air of this room as Liz's breath quickened, my little sister becoming more and more excited by the moment. Next, her legs were revealed as the stockings went, exposing two long, pale, smooth legs without a single flaw, and finally, her underwear came off, exposing that tuft of blonde hair and the eager, wet pink lips below. I couldn't help but marvel at the sight, amazed to see Yelizaveta completely bare for the first time, wearing even less than the short nightgowns we wore all those nights in the tent, those nights that made this inevitable.

"Nastya," Yelizaveta spoke up again, drawing my attention away from her body and to her equally mesmerizing blue eyes. I paid attention now, as irresistible as Yelizaveta was right now, as beautiful as her naked body appeared, if she wasn't ready, I wasn't going to push her, because, as much as I wanted this, what I really wanted was a perfect first night with Liz, not a night that she wasn't ready for. My little sister however, was more than ready, and the next thing that she told me more than confirmed that "Take your clothes off, now."

"Of course, my Tsarevna," I giggled but obliged, blushing as Liz laid there, propped up on her elbows, eagerly watching me undress. I shed my dress, undergarments and my stockings, discarding the clothes and coming up to the bed. I laid down next to Yelizaveta, running my fingers across her skin as we really started. We had been so quick, so aggressive before now, but the nakedness was a reality check, now we were slow, very aware of our state, but at the same time, filled to overflowing with anticipation. I closed the distance to Liz and kissed her, feeling the radiant heat of her body against mine, enjoying her lips, and, at the same time, my hand grew courageous, reaching for her breast. I touched the ivory bound and felt Liz moan against my lips. I cupped her breast in my hand, lightly squeezing it, feeling the weight of it in my hand and feeling her erect nipple against my hand. I rolled over Liz, straddling her, bringing my other hand to Liz's other breast. I closed my eyes and felt them both in my hands, I heard a guttural moan escape Yelizaveta's lips as I arched my back, pushing myself against her, enjoying the utter bliss of this situation. I opened my eyes and released her breasts, meeting Liz's eyes, finding her needing gaze, she was ready, she would be begging if she could manage to do so without just letting yet another moan out.

I decided not to leave Liz waiting anymore, sliding down to her breast, taking her nipple in my mouth while my right hand slipped down her stomach, finding the blonde tuft of hair and the vagina below. Yelizaveta's breath hitched as I bit down on her nipple and glided my fingers over her moist core at the same time, shaking her with pain and pleasure. I released the nipple and gave it a kiss to sooth the pain before moving onto the other one, fingering my sister while I attended to her breast. I licked and prodded at the nipple, but Yelizaveta was insatiable, sharing the same Rurikovich libido as I did.

"Nastya...more!" Liz cried out and I knew I had to oblige, sliding down the bedsheets, finding my place between her legs. I felt my breasts against the bed as I leaned in and licked at Liz's virgin core, knowing that I was the first person to taste her, knowing that I was having sex with the future Tsarina of Russia, knowing that I was making love to my own flesh and blood sister. The gravity of my actions should have been alarming, but it felt natural, as horrible as it should be, this felt like the natural result of every interaction Liz and I had ever since my mother let me hold her newborn body. Yelizaveta was always the most important woman in my life, the most important woman in my life, the only difference now is that I'm acting on it, I'm licking at her soaking little lips and I'm making her orgasm against my mouth. I felt the climax shoot through Liz's body as she cried out through the room "I love you!"

"I love you too," I told Yelizaveta as I laid down next to her, ready to guide her back down, but my little sister had no such idea. I watched her smirk before getting back up, still panting from her climax, and Liz went so far as to straddle my face before leaning down on my torso, her breasts on my stomach and vice versa, position her face just above my own vaginal lips. I realized then that this night was far from over...Rurikovich libido indeed.

* * *

The next morning I stood at the window in my robe, a naked, sleeping Yelizaveta still under the sheets, fast asleep. I still felt a dull tingle between my legs after a long and exhausting night of sex, a night which has clearly left Yelizaveta more tired than I was. I didn't blame her though, she was still inexperienced, her already shocking endurance will only increase. Russia was strong and it's strength will only increase as well, rising in parallel to this great relationship between the Tsarina and the Tsarevna, but at the same time, to the west, to the dark lands only just being illuminated by the rising son, there is a rising power. Lady Krystyna is marching on Bohemia and, soon enough, she will reign in The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth as well. The history of eastern Europe, southern Europe, and beyond, shall forever change, she will ensure that, and I shall watch that change with great interest.

* * *

This has been The Legacy of The Romans! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you'll follow me in the future, as there is a sequel planned!


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